Nightmares
by MariaClaire
Summary: All Annabeth wants to do is pass her exams and go to camp for winter break with Percy...just like they didn't get to do last year (thanks a lot, Hera). When she is plagued by strange nightmares, though, Annabeth must find out who or what is causing them in order to make them stop. But uncovering the truth won't be easy, especially when it means facing some fears she'd rather avoid.
1. Chapter 1

*****A/N: This story is set in December, about four months after the war with Gaea and a month before the **_**Trials of Apollo **_**series starts. **

**Disclaimer: As always, these characters belong to Rick Riordan and/or Greek mythology, I'm just borrowing them for a bit.*****

* * *

Annabeth was determined to solve the problem. As soon as she completed this set, her calculus homework would be done and she could move on to her history study guide. Then answer questions on that weird short story for her English class. Then…_okay, stop_. She took a deep breath. One thing at a time. She re-focused on the notes in front of her, frowning as she tried to figure out how the sample problem her teacher had gone over in class applied to the actual homework question.

The study room was quiet. The only sounds were scratching pencils and rustling pages, accompanied by occasional frustrated sighs. Annabeth had to pride herself a little bit on the suggestion to reserve a private study room at the public library. Normally she worked on her homework in her dorm or at the Jackson-Blofis apartment, but there were always distractions, like her laptop, other girls on her floor popping in to chat, the TV, or Percy's mom asking how things were going and bringing in snacks. Okay, Sally providing snacks was actually one of the perks of studying at the apartment, but today, with the last two weeks of the semester looming, Annabeth really just needed to focus.

Of course, if that was the case, maybe she shouldn't have brought the most likely source of distractions with her. To be fair, Percy had been working diligently for over an hour, nearly as focused as she was as he plowed through his own stack of homework. So really she wasn't surprised when he finally cracked.

Percy groaned, then slumped forward until his head hit his textbook with a soft _thump_. "How much longer until winter break?"

"Well, today is December second and classes end Friday, December fifteenth, so there are still thirteen days to get through. The same number of days there were when you asked me this question on our way to the library."

"I'm never going to make it." Percy groaned dramatically again and flung his arms out on top of the books and papers scattered across the table. "You'll have to go on without me."

"What does that even mean?" Annabeth checked her notes, then moved to the next step in the equation. "Am I supposed to take your exams for you?"

Percy lifted his head just enough to peek at her. "If you did that, I would love you forever."

Annabeth suppressed the smile trying to creep across her face. "But then I'd have to study for your exams on top of mine. How is that fair?"

"But you _like _studying," Percy whined. "It's your thing."

"Not enough to take on a second round of tests. No deal, Seaweed Brain." She scribbled down the final answer to the calculus problem, then set down her pencil and stretched. "You're just going to have to drag yourself through the next two weeks."

"Fine." Percy heaved a sigh as he rested his chin on his textbook. The small pout on his face was somehow endearing. "At least there's camp to look forward to. We can spend a couple weeks together with no homework for a change."

The words sent a jolt through Annabeth. At first, she wasn't sure why. Then it hit her: they'd had a similar conversation a year ago, about looking forward to hanging out together at camp over winter break. And then Percy had disappeared for six months. Panic seized her, but Annabeth wrestled it away. This year was different. There was no threat or prophecy. Everything was relatively normal. Still, it took her a moment to realize Percy was still talking.

"—decide about going to your dad's?"

"What? Oh, um, no, I haven't decided yet. I mean, he invited me, and it sounded like he really did want me there for Christmas, so I thought maybe I'd go for a few days, like the 23rd to the 26th or something."

"Cool. So you and I will have to do presents either before or after, right?" He looked at her expectantly.

"Are we doing presents?" Annabeth asked lightly, looking down as she closed her calculus notebook. She'd already had his present for a month, of course, but it was fun to tease him. She glanced back up just in time to see Percy sit up abruptly, his expression suddenly nervous.

"Uh, I mean, I thought so. But we don't have to. I mean, I kind of got something for you, but if you didn't get anything for me that's totally fine, it's no big deal—"

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Percy, I'm kidding. Why don't we do presents when I get back from my dad's, if I go? You know, extend the holiday."

"Oh, okay." He flashed a grin. "Sounds good."

She squeezed his arm, then withdrew her hand as she went back to shuffling her different stacks of study materials. "You know, this will be your last Christmas with just your mom and Paul. Next year…"

"Yeah." Percy sat back in his chair, his gaze wandering off into space. "Pretty sure next year it's going to be all about my baby sister. Which I'm totally cool with."

"For sure, everybody's going to want to spoil—" Annabeth froze. "Wait…sister?"

Percy just grinned.

"It's a girl?" Annabeth squealed. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I just did."

"Percy! You could have mentioned it sooner!"

"Sorry." But he was still beaming and he didn't sound all that sorry. "My mom just found out a couple days ago. Apparently the baby hadn't been in a good position to tell until now or something, but, yeah. It's a girl. I'm going to have a baby sister!"

"That's awesome!" Annabeth rose so she could walk around the table and hug him.

He returned the hug. "Thanks. You're still going to help me baby-sit, right?"

"Obviously." She pulled back enough to smile at him. Which was when she caught the mischievous glint in his eyes. She gave a small yelp of surprise as Percy tugged her off-balance so that she fell into his lap. Then he kissed her.

"Study break," he explained.

"Mmhm." Annabeth ran her fingers through his messy hair. "I feel like I should point out the giant plate glass window in the wall behind us, which I'm pretty sure is there to stop people from doing exactly this in the study rooms."

Percy made a face. "See? This is why people say libraries are no fun."

"They can be." After checking over her shoulder to make sure no one was walking past at the moment, Annabeth indulged herself by giving him a slow, lingering kiss. Then she gently disentangled his arms from around her waist and stood up. "Okay, break's over. Back to work."

Percy blinked a few times, then pouted again. "That wasn't even a five minute break. It's Saturday. Shouldn't we be, I don't know, going out or something?"

"We are out," Annabeth said as she dropped back into her chair and pulled her history study guide towards her. "We're at the library."

"That," Percy said pointedly, "is not what I meant."

Already busy scanning her history textbook for keywords, Annabeth didn't answer.

"You're impossible," Percy grumbled.

She looked up, then nudged his shin with her foot. "But you love me anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I do," Percy admitted. He cracked a smile. "Even if you won't take all my exams for me."

"Keep dreaming, Jackson." Annabeth turned her attention back to her notes, then added, "But just remember, in two weeks, we'll be at camp. Where there's a lake. And I happen to know a guy who can make underwater air bubbles. Just saying."

"Huh." Percy was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Well, there's my incentive to survive these exams."

"Incentive?" Annabeth looked up again, impressed by his vocabulary choice.

"SAT prep word." Percy shrugged. "I've been trying to work them in so I can hopefully raise my score next time I take the stupid test."

"You will," Annabeth said confidently. "I know you will."

"Thanks." They shared another smile, then dove back into their respective homework.

* * *

By the time Annabeth collapsed into bed, it was midnight. She was absolutely exhausted. After they left the library, Percy had tried to persuade her to come hang out at his apartment, but as much as she would have liked to, she'd refused. She still had too much work to get done. So she'd kissed him good-bye at the subway station, then they'd taken separate trains back to their different parts of the city. And then Annabeth had spent several more hours studying in her dorm room. Seriously, senior year was kicking her butt. As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to relax enough to fall asleep, all the different subjects swirled like a cyclone in her mind. That's probably why her dream started the way it did.

Annabeth dreamed she was sitting in an empty theater, watching as characters from Shakespeare plays spouted economic theories and balanced chemical equations. A girl from her AP Calculus class dropped into the seat on Annabeth's right and began asking questions about integrals. Then a guy from her AP History class sat down on her left and began ranting about the complex ways World War I led to World War II. All the voices began whirling around, impossible to focus on, even for an ADHD demigod with excellent battle reflexes. Finally, Annabeth put her hands over her ears and ran out of the theater, ducking through a doorway she had supposed would lead into a lobby.

But it didn't. In true dream form, she was suddenly in a completely different place, but one that she recognized. The small stone temple, with its twin pitch black doorways flanking a statue of the war god, filled her with terror and shame. It was the Temple of Fear, from Sparta. This wasn't a memory because there was no comforting reassurance of having Piper beside her. Annabeth was now standing alone before the statue of Ares. Waves of fear broke against her, but she refused to let them drag her under. Not again.

A shadow melted from the wall, rising into the form of a smoky giant that resembled Clytius but spoke in Mimas's voice: _Are you a believer, Annabeth Chase?_

Black smoke rolled off the giant. It slithered across the floor towards her and Annabeth knew instinctively that she did not want it touching her. She stumbled backward into the wall.

Her heart flung itself against her rib cage like it was trying to escape. But escape wasn't possible. She could only stand there, pressed against the cold stone, as the thick oily smoke engulfed her.

She expected darkness. Instead, as the smoke consumed her, visions played out against the clouds. They were washed out, not like a black and white movie, but like they'd been leached of color. That in itself was disturbing, but not as bad as the visions.

In the first she was seven years old again, sitting in a library across from…gods, her cousin Magnus. She hadn't thought about him in years. This was the Thanksgiving of the big fight between their families. They'd been playing with some weird dominoes. In the vision, she told him she was going to run away. He was the only person she'd told. In reality, she just remembered him watching her with wide eyes and her father had interrupted them before he responded. But in the vision, Magnus's face turned boiling red and he swept his arm across the table, knocking over the tiny temple she'd been constructing. "No! You're bad!" he yelled in his high-pitched, childish voice.

Annabeth was taken aback. She didn't remember Magnus that well, but she definitely didn't think he would do something like that. The vision made her question the memory though.

The next visions were worse. She was back in her bedroom in Richmond, spiders crawling all over her, webs choking her nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. This time, her stepmother stood in the doorway, arms crossed, coldly watching even as Annabeth begged for help, voice muffled by spider silk. But that wasn't how it had really happened, was it?

The scene changed and she was in the Cyclops mansion in Brooklyn, watching Grover be devoured. Then she and Luke stumbled through slippery grass as Thalia was struck down behind them. But this time, no pine tree emerged. Time hurtled forward and she was on Olympus again, body battered, watching Percy hand her dagger to Luke. And watching, horrified, as Luke's eyes gleamed and he stabbed Percy in the small of his back.

"Please…" she whimpered, but she didn't know what she was asking, or who she was asking it of.

The visions continued like that, a steady stream, skipping back and forth through time, showing her every horrible, traumatizing moment in her past, but worse, so much worse, than what had really happened. She watched Thalia, Luke, and Grover die in a dozen different ways. One by one, Piper, Hazel, Jason, Frank, and Leo fell. Tyson. Rachel. Nico. Reyna. Her siblings from the Athena cabin. Other kids from camp—Silena, Beckendorf, Clarisse, friends from other cabins. She relived the worst moments of the battles of the Labyrinth and Manhattan, but this time, there were no survivors of either. Monsters devoured demigods. Annabeth fell to her knees, hands covering her eyes, but that didn't stop the bleached out visions. They just changed. The focus shifted. Instead of showing her terrible things happening to everyone she loved, the visions narrowed to the worst that could happen to the one she loved most.

Percy turned to stone by Medusa. Percy falling from the Arch and breaking every bone in his body against the ground. Percy trapped in the Underworld. Crushed beneath the weight of the sky. Strangled in Antaeus's grip. Chained underwater at the feet of Polybotes. Stabbed through the heart by Chrysaor. Speared by Ephialtes. Torn to shreds by Kelli. Eviscerated by Tartarus.

"No," Annabeth moaned. She shut her eyes, but nothing stopped the visions. "Please, no more."

But the smoke and the fear weren't through with her yet. They dragged her back to the edge of Chaos. Nyx and her nightmare steeds breathed darkness into the abyss. Annabeth heard pained choking behind her. She turned her back on the goddess of night, knowing how foolish that choice would likely prove to be. But dread filled her at the sound and she had to see, had to know. Everything inside Annabeth felt like it was dissolving as she faced the scene she'd been forced to relive in dozens of nightmares since July. But like all the visions tonight, this was worse than even the reality had been. She watched in desperation as Akhlys gagged on poison, sputtering and shaking as she fell to the ground, clutching her throat.

"Don't," Annabeth whispered, but Percy didn't hear. His eyes were wild with a kind of hungry bloodlust she had never seen on his face. Akhlys stilled. The poison tide didn't stop. Instead, Percy faced Nyx. The poison rose around him, cresting like a wave, and swept across the cliff, crashing like a tsunami over the goddess of night and her chariot. Nyx shrieked in agony as the acid ate away at her. Percy's expression didn't change, still lit with cruel, hard light. Annabeth couldn't stand it anymore. "Percy, stop! Please!"

Somehow, even in this most horrible version of events, the poison never touched her. She stood in a small safe circle of stone. Percy turned to her. A thrill of fear went down her spine. But he simply said, "Okay." His hands dropped to his sides and the flood of poison stopped.

The vision shifted one final time. And this time, it was so close to a real memory it was hard to pick out what was true and what was twisted by the smoke. It was a night in December last year at Camp Half-Blood. The vision revealed two demigods strolling away from the campfire, hand in hand. With a jolt, Annabeth recognized herself and Percy. She was watching the scene play out like a spectator. They joked and laughed as they crossed the wide green lawn between the cabins, then stopped outside the door to Cabin Three. Part of her mind resisted, thinking that wasn't right because Percy always walked her to _her_ door, but apparently not in this version of the memory. In this version, she watched as Percy tugged her into the Poseidon cabin, then kissed her. Like really kissed her. Which felt really weird to watch from the outside. And also was _not_ something that had happened that night. What was real, though, was the way they smiled at each other when they broke apart. She _remembered _that—it had happened outside the door of Cabin Six, and she remembered the giddy feeling she'd experienced, mistakenly thinking that they were safe at camp and would be spending plenty of time together over the next couple weeks.

And then…the vision shifted with her memory, and again it was real, as she watched herself run into the now-empty Cabin Three, looking panicked, calling Percy's name and getting no response. The room spun and Annabeth was no longer watching the scene, she was living it. But it was worse this time. Before, she had held onto hope for six months that he would reappear. They knew about Camp Jupiter, they had Jason, it wasn't hard to figure out about Hera drafting Percy into her little exchange program. But in the washed out, colorless world of the smoke-vision, none of that was true. Annabeth knew somehow that he wasn't at Camp Jupiter this time. He wasn't in New York or Alaska or the ancient lands or on Olympus or even lost in the mortal world. He was just gone. And this time, she would never get him back. Cold laughter rippled through the smoke as the vision faded into nothingness.

Annabeth woke with a sob. Cold sweat beaded her forehead and her stomach churned. The visions had seemed terrifyingly real. The feelings of loss and fear and emptiness were still with her as she struggled out of the sheets tangled around her legs. Her hands shook as she threw on jeans and a sweatshirt. Panic was blooming in her chest, rising up her throat like it was going to suffocate her.

Percy. She had to get to Percy.

Not bothering with a coat or gloves or hat, because she couldn't find them in the dark, she simply pulled on her boots, grabbed her sword, and slipped out the door.

Outside, it was absolutely freezing. Sleet pelted her face as she jogged up the street. On some level, Annabeth knew this was crazy. It was the middle of the night. A really nasty night. But her heart was racing, a horrible feeling of dread pooling in her stomach. Still feeling disoriented by the nightmare, her only clear thought was that she had to see Percy. She had to know he was still here.

The subway station was slightly warmer, but when Annabeth reached her platform, it was only to find that the train she needed wasn't running right now. Maintenance or something. So she stomped up a broken down escalator and charged back into the night. Several blocks later, she was shaking, but now more from cold than fear. She was an idiot for not grabbing her coat. Sleet soaked her sweatshirt and jeans. Now she was pressing forward for survival purposes as much as any other reason, since she was closer at this point to the Jackson-Blofis apartment than she was to her dorm. Her jaw hurt from fighting against her chattering teeth. Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold in every bit of body heat she could as an icy wind whipped down the street, driving the freezing rain harder against her face. Her entire body was trembling.

When she reached Percy's block, she hesitated for a moment, then decided against going to the door, not really wanting to wake his parents up. Besides, there was no guarantee anyone would hear the buzzer when they were all asleep. Instead, she climbed up the fire escape, which she realized was increasingly stupid by the time she hit the second floor. The frosty metal rungs of the ladder burned her fingers. She hoped she wouldn't slip and fall to her death. That would just be embarrassing. Annabeth was starting to feel ridiculous about having rushed out into a winter storm because of a nightmare, and even more ridiculous for climbing up the fire escape, but it was way too late to turn back. She needed to get inside _now_.

Finally, she made it to the fifth floor. Her clothes were soaked through, her teeth chattering so hard she was afraid she'd crack one, and her tangled wet hair was plastered to her face. She could barely feel her fingers as she tapped them on Percy's window. Through the glass, she could see him sound asleep in bed, which only added to her understanding that this was insane, but she was about to freeze to death so he really needed to wake up and let her in. Percy hadn't moved, so she knocked harder, a sharp RAP RAP RAP. He jerked awake, then looked around blearily. She tapped the window again and he spotted her. His mouth dropped into an O of surprise, but he scrambled out of bed and opened the window.

"Annabeth, what the hell? Get in here." Percy helped her hop down into his room, then he shut the window, cutting off the glacial blast. He was wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt. The brief rush of cold had raised goosebumps on his arms, but he didn't seem bothered as he put his hands on her shoulders, asking urgently, "Are you okay?"

"F-f-fine," Annabeth managed. Her lips were so numb it was hard to speak, especially with her chattering teeth. "S-s-s-stupid n-n-n-nightmare."

Percy's brow furrowed. "You came all the way over here because of a nightmare?"

"Kn-know it's dumb," Annabeth admitted, forcing the words out, "but I had t-t-to s-see you."

Percy's expression softened and he pulled her into his arms. She wanted to melt into his embrace, but he stepped back again almost immediately, frowning. "Gods, you're soaked. And your lips are blue." He went to his dresser and dug out sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, which he handed to her. "Put these on and pass me your wet clothes. I'll throw them in the dryer."

"You d-don't h-h-have to d-do that."

"Babe, you're like two minutes from hypothermia. Get changed and get under the covers."

He stepped into the hallway while she stripped off her wet clothes and pulled on the dry ones, feeling increasingly foolish about the whole situation. She couldn't quite meet his eyes when she opened the door to hand him her stuff. "Th-thanks."

"No problem." He nodded to his bed. "Go get under the covers."

Although she didn't always do what he told her, this time she did, tugging the covers tightly around her. Percy had at least five blankets on his bed, like he'd layered them against the cold. The sheets were still warm where he'd been sleeping, but Annabeth couldn't stop shivering. She wondered if she'd accidentally crossed the line into dangerous territory, temperature-wise, but her frozen brain seemed incapable of deciding what the next step should be.

Luckily, Percy was back within two minutes. He softly shut his door, then, after a moment of hesitation, climbed under the covers with her. Under different circumstances, this might have been either awkward or awesome, but right now she just really needed to not be cold.

"Gods, you're seriously freezing," Percy muttered. He vigorously rubbed her arms and back. His body heat seared her cold skin. "Annabeth, what were you thinking, coming out in this storm? You could have just called me."

"I know it s-seems st-stupid," she murmured. A boiling hot tear dripped down her chilled cheek as the pain of the dream hit her again. "B-but it was the w-worst nightmare I've ever had, Percy."

"Seriously?"

She nodded against his shoulder. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she told him about the dream, how it started with dumb school stuff, then moved to the Temple of Fear, how it replayed some of her worst memories, but in a warped way, altering the results. More tears traced their way down her face as she described watching her friends die. Watching him die, over and over and over again. And then, even though it was difficult to talk about, she described the distorted scenes with Akhlys and at Camp Half-Blood.

"And I woke up terrified and confused and I was a block away from my dorm by the time I really woke up, and by then I just wanted to keep going," Annabeth finished. "I can't explain it. I just had this horrible feeling. Like for a few minutes I was positive you wouldn't even be here. That you were missing again." She raised her head to meet his eyes. "I just had to see you."

Percy still looked concerned, but there was something understanding in his slight smile. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm right here. I'm all yours. I'm not going anywhere."

His words warmed her up from the inside like a gulp of hot chocolate. Somewhere along the line, as she talked, she'd stopped shivering so badly. Her skin tingled as the numb cold faded. "Good. Because I like you right where you are."

"Yeah, at the moment, I'm actually really happy right where I am."

A weak laugh escaped her lips. "Not what I meant, but me too."

"I'm sorry that nightmare was so bad, though. Do you think maybe it was just stress-related, because of exams and all? It sounds like that's how it started, anyway."

"The theater part was definitely because of exams. But the rest of it…" Annabeth sighed. Her fist was clenched around Percy's t-shirt, her knuckles grazing his stomach, and she forced her fingers to relax. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric as she said, "I don't know, Percy. It didn't _feel _like a premonition or a warning or anything, truthfully. It felt more spiteful, like someone was just trying to get under my skin. And it worked."

He considered this, still rubbing slow circles on her back. "Do you think some monster or god or whoever was going after you specifically?"

Honestly, she hadn't thought that far yet, but now that he mentioned it, her mind started to turn the idea over. "I guess the question would be why?"

"Isn't that always the question?" Percy grumbled, and Annabeth managed another tiny laugh.

"True. Who knows? Maybe it _was _just a culmination of stress."

"But you don't think so."

"Not really, no. But," she glanced over his shoulder at the illuminated alarm clock, "it's almost three in the morning, and I can't even begin to think about who might be sending me horrible dreams right now." _Or what they might mean_, she thought, but didn't say. She bit her lip. "I hope it's not a warning. I thought maybe we were finally safe. But I thought that last year, too, around this time and then…" Her voice trailed off.

Percy's arms tightened around her. "I know."

"I don't want another insane quest, Percy. I know that sounds crazy coming from me, when that was all I wanted for so long, but, gods, we've done so much. And I just—I want different things now."

His eyes were soft as he asked in a low voice, "Like what?"

She touched his face lightly, grateful that feeling had returned to her fingertips. Possibly because it was so late it was almost early and because she was in his arms, and in his bed, she told the truth. "Like a totally quiet, boring life with you. I mean, I know with you it'll never really be boring, but we can try our best."

Percy's laugh made his chest rumble and Annabeth was suddenly incredibly glad she came over, especially now that it seemed like she wouldn't be dying of hypothermia. "That might be your best plan yet, Wise Girl." His expression turned serious again. "I can't promise I won't get kidnapped by some jerk god again. But I can promise you that I won't go looking for a fight. Like you said, I want different things now. I'd like to be around for my baby sister, for example. And I want to go to college with you."

"So you're saying that the next time a god shows up asking you to go on some crazy cross-country quest—"

"I'm saying no. Unless it'll get me instantly incinerated. Then I'll say no, thank you."

Annabeth laughed for real this time, then quickly clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it. The fear she'd woken up with had left her feeling unsteady, like the tremors after an earthquake, but the panic had eased. Being here made her feel better. "How do you always do that? I can be completely miserable, but somehow you make me smile."

The corner of Percy's mouth quirked up. "Just a talent, I guess. Plus, I really like your smile."

"That's a good answer, Seaweed Brain." It occurred to her that she hadn't actually kissed him yet. She fixed that right away.

Percy returned the kiss. The familiar faint taste of salt on his lips helped to drive some, but not all, of the lingering fear away. Annabeth pressed closer to him because gods, he was so warm. And real. She deepened the kiss, fingers curled in his t-shirt. Outside, the wind howled and sleet pattered against the window, but inside everything was cozy and quiet.

Percy's hand slipped under her shirt and new goosebumps rose on Annabeth's skin that had nothing to do with the cold. She was very tempted to let things progress the way they had over the last few months on the rare occasions when the two of them had privacy and no homework. But unfortunately, right now, she still felt shaky and a little fragile from the nightmares. Tonight, this wasn't what she needed.

She pulled away. "Stop. I can't. Not tonight."

"Okay." Percy immediately moved his hands back to her waist. After a moment, he raised one to gently touch her cheek. He met her eyes and asked, "What _do _you need tonight?"

Annabeth felt like she'd had another gulp of hot chocolate. _I have the best boyfriend ever_. "Just hold me?"

"I can do that." With Percy's arms wrapped around her, she felt protected, the way she always did, and Annabeth relaxed into his embrace. For a minute or two, they were quiet. Annabeth traced random patterns on Percy's chest, fighting down memories from the nightmares. She tried to focus on the way his fingers were lightly following the line of her spine. His breath brushed her cheek when he said, "Reminds me of the stables on the _Argo II_."

"That was a nice night." Annabeth stifled a yawn as she fidgeted with a loose string on his shirt. Drowsiness was hitting her hard, but she was afraid of what might happen when she closed her eyes. What if her mind was thrown back into the Temple of Fear?

"Hey," Percy said, "did I ever tell you about the time at Yancy Academy when Grover and I totally pulled an epic prank on some bullies?"

Annabeth frowned. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"It's just a good story. And believe me, these guys totally deserved what happened because they'd been giving wedgies to all the younger kids. So anyway, we were in the cafeteria when Grover gets this brilliant idea…" Percy quietly told her the story, and by the time he finished, Annabeth found herself grinning at the image of the bullies with Cheez-Whiz and Doritos stuck in their hair.

"Wow, Seaweed Brain. Sounds like you two were kind of troublemakers. But for a good cause."

"Oh there's no 'kind of' about it. I'm a straight-up troublemaker. But I try to help people out when I can." Percy rolled onto his back, one arm behind his head, the other curled protectively around her shoulders. Annabeth snuggled against his chest as he continued. "Like this one time, I got a month of detention. Probably lucky I wasn't suspended, but see, these eighth graders were picking on this scrawny little sixth grade guy, so…" As he talked in a low voice, telling her stories about schools he'd been to, mostly normal stuff (for him anyway), Annabeth felt her eyelids getting heavier. Percy was absent-mindedly playing with her hair, which was strangely soothing. She yawned. Percy glanced at her, then told another story, his voice a little softer this time.

Annabeth drifted off to sleep, secure in the comfortable warmth of being with Percy, safe in their cocoon of blankets.

She did have a dream, but it was definitely not a nightmare. She dreamt of standing on the beach at Camp Half-Blood, looking at the star-strewn sky over Long Island Sound. She was alone, but it was okay. Standing by the water made her feel calm. As she watched, one bright star detached itself from the heavens, floating towards the sea. A falling star. As it sank through the sky, a woman's voice glided across the water, saying, "I will help you, daughter of Athena. Find me on the island where the lady rises from the sea." That was all. It was a short dream, and in the morning, Annabeth barely remembered it. Of course, that could've been because she had other things to worry about when she woke up. Namely, Sally Jackson standing in Percy's doorway, arms crossed, looking at the two of them with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, um." Annabeth brushed the hair out of her face as she sat up, a guilty flush creeping up her neck. "Hi, Sally."

"Good morning, Annabeth."

Not wanting to look at the doorway, Annabeth shook Percy's shoulder. "Wake up."

"Huh, what?" Percy blinked, confused, then started to smile when he saw her. Until he spotted his mother. "Uh-oh."

"Good morning, Perseus."

"Mom, I can explain—"

"Yes, you can. I'll see you both in the kitchen in one minute." With that, Sally disappeared down the hallway.

Annabeth shot Percy an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"S'okay." He kissed her hand. "Worth it."

* * *

Sally Jackson normally exuded warmth and kindness. She was not someone Annabeth would ever have referred to as intimidating (except maybe if someone threatened Percy). But there was something more than a little frightening about facing her this morning. Especially since Annabeth was wearing Percy's t-shirt and sweatpants, as her own clothes were presumably still in the dryer. Sally's arms were crossed over her baby bump and her face was set in the no-nonsense expression Annabeth had seen on Percy's face numerous times, usually when he was trying to get information from a monster. Sally looked from her son to Annabeth, then back. "Explain."

They tried. Annabeth told her about the nightmare and her impulsive decision to rush here in the freezing rain. "It was totally stupid and irresponsible, I know. But, honestly, I was _that _scared. It was," she looked down, not able to hide the quiver in her voice, "the worst nightmare I've ever had. It manipulated my memories, made me wonder what was even real."

Percy took her hand, which she appreciated, even if now maybe wasn't the ideal moment for the gesture. He did her the favor of picking up the explanation, though. "There was sleet and freezing rain last night, Mom, so when Annabeth got here, she was freezing. Borderline hypothermia, seriously. I was really worried. So I gave her some dry clothes, _left the room while she changed_," he emphasized pointedly, "and threw her stuff in the dryer. When I came back she was still shivering like crazy so I figured, you know, from first aid, uh," Percy's voice faltered as his cheeks turned red, "body heat?"

Annabeth winced. "That is true, though. I couldn't get warm, even under all the covers."

Sally pursed her lips. "For future reference, a good first step might be a cup of hot tea. But I hope you don't seriously expect me to believe that if there hadn't been a medical emergency, Percy would have politely slept on the couch." Yeah, Percy definitely got his sarcasm from his mother.

"Maybe," Percy said defensively. When they both looked at him, he relented. "Okay, probably not. But Mom, honestly, I was genuinely worried about her. And we just talked."

"Kissed once," Annabeth supplied.

Percy stared at her. "Really? Now?"

She shrugged and smiled sweetly at him. "We're not climbing out of this hole, Seaweed Brain. Might as well keep digging."

Sally cracked a smile. "I believe you. And I'm sorry you were that frightened, Annabeth. But you two are seventeen. You have big plans for college and I'm so proud of how hard you've been working. I just don't want you to get caught up and have to deal with consequences you're not ready to handle yet. So, as Percy's mother, I'm required by law to make sure that you both do know how this happens, right?" She pointed to her baby bump.

Oh gods. Annabeth wished she had Nico's ability to disappear into the shadows. But she didn't. She also couldn't meet Sally's eyes as she nodded. Percy's face was so brightly red she could almost feel the heat rising off him like a lobster in a pot. "Um, yeah, Mom, everyone here has taken health class and is aware of how that happens. And I really prefer not to think that about you guys."

"Ditto, honey." Sally sighed. "Look, if it happens again _because of nightmares_," she added sternly, "just leave the door open."

"Sure, Sally."

"No problem."

"Good." Sally clapped her hands. "Now that the uncomfortable part is over, who wants breakfast?"

* * *

*****Hope you enjoyed this first chapter! There will be more to come as Annabeth deals with her nightmares and tries to figure out who or what is causing them.*****


	2. Chapter 2

*****A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Hope you enjoy Chapter 2! Heads up, there are a couple very, very brief mentions of images from **_**Tyrant's Tomb **_**during Annabeth's nightmare in this chapter, nothing very spoilery, but I always want to give people the warning if you're avoiding anything from the book before reading it. Chapter 3 will be up next week.*****

* * *

Over the next week, the nightmares continued. None were as bad as the first, but Annabeth did wake Percy up with a phone call a couple times. The weather had grown steadily worse, so she refrained from going over there in the middle of the night again (plus, Sally probably wouldn't appreciate it). However, the situation was affecting her sleep, which was the last thing she needed as exams drew closer. Two more times, though, she dreamed of the falling star on the beach and the woman's voice. _Find me on the island where the lady rises from the sea._ Too bad Annabeth had absolutely no idea what that meant.

She went over to Percy's on Friday night. His parents were having a couple of friends over, but the adults were all sitting around the kitchen table drinking wine, except Sally, and playing something that looked like a mix of a card game and a board game. Which meant Percy and Annabeth had the living room to themselves. Not that it gave them any privacy, but at least the laughter from the kitchen meant they could talk without worrying about being overheard. Having mythical conversations around mortals was always tricky.

They were slumped on the couch, both tired and not really paying attention to the basketball game on the TV. Percy took her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I've been thinking about your nightmares. Remember Morpheus?"

"The guy who knocked out the entire island? Hard to forget."

"Isn't he the god of dreams? Do you think he's still, I don't know, bitter the Titans lost and taking it out on you or something?"

His words stirred a very old memory of something she'd read back when she first got to Camp Half-Blood, but it fluttered just out of reach. "Maybe, but I don't think it's Morpheus. This feels darker somehow. He's the god of dreams, not nightmares." Suddenly the fact fluttered into place and Annabeth gasped.

"What?" Percy asked. Then he caught her expression and grinned. "You just figured it out, didn't you?"

"I think so. Thanks to you." She kissed his cheek. "I need a laptop."

While she searched the web on Paul's school laptop, Percy sat beside her, now watching the basketball game and eating chips. Occasionally he distracted her by handing her a chip, but most of Annabeth's focus was on her search. Finding more details on Morpheus led her to a group of daimones called the _oneiroi_. As she read more about them, Annabeth's fingers froze over the keys.

"Did you find something?" Percy asked when he realized she'd stopped typing. He leaned over to look at the laptop screen and she was momentarily distracted because he smelled really good. A little bit like the ocean, which was normal, but also something else, some nice guy smell, almost like sandalwood, maybe from his soap or shampoo. The idea flitted across her mind that she could also get him cologne for Christmas, if she found one she really liked and thought he'd wear. Then she shook her head, forcing herself to refocus on the task at hand.

"Yeah, there's something here about the _oneiroi_. They're the spirits of dreams, but they can bring nightmares, too. The Greeks called nightmares _melas oneiros_—black dreams." She moistened her lips, stomach tightening at the memory of the black smoke engulfing her during the nightmares.

Percy's brow furrowed as he studied her. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, then kissed her temple. "Sounds like it could definitely be one of those guys. So how do we get rid of them?"

"I don't know." Annabeth huffed in frustration. "There's almost nothing about them. Except apparently sometimes they deliver prophetic dreams and other times just deceitful ones that try to trick you."

"Like yours."

"Mmhm." She squinted at the screen, wishing the letters would stand still. "It depends on which gate they exit through. If they go through the horn gate, they send prophetic dreams, if it's the ivory gate, it's false dreams."

"Weird. Could we like, I don't know, close these gates? Stop the nightmares from getting out?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Dreams aren't inherently bad, Percy. Besides, the gates are in Erebus. The Underworld."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm good if we don't have to go there again anytime soon. I mean, I totally would, for you, but if we don't have to, that would be better."

"Agreed. Also, I love you." She kissed him, hard, because she didn't think he even realized what he just said and what it reminded her of (_cough, _Rome_, cough_). The slightly dazed smile on his face when she pulled away left her feeling giddy. But the feeling faded quickly when she returned to the article she was reading and spotted something she missed before. The blood drained from her face.

Percy leaned towards the computer again. "What is it?"

Annabeth didn't answer right away as she struggled against the memory of a goddess rising from a pit, her form hard to define because it was velvety dark, except for the nebulas bursting in her bodice and the painfully bright pinpoints of her eyes. Annabeth's voice was small when she said, "The _oneiroi _are children of Nyx."

* * *

Percy refused to let her walk back to her dorm alone that night.

"I really don't think they're going to swoop out and attack me on the sidewalk," Annabeth maintained. "It's only been the nightmares."

"So far." Percy crossed his arms. "But it's dark, it's cold, it's getting late, and I don't think it's safe."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. But I'm still walking you home."

"But then _you _have to walk back by yourself."

"Not if Paul lets me borrow his car." Percy's jaw was set stubbornly and he had that certain look in his eyes which told her he was absolutely not backing down.

To be honest, it _was _cold out, so a ride home in a warm car didn't sound like the worst idea ever. Plus, Annabeth didn't want to admit it, but what she learned about the daimones of dreams really freaked her out. So she relented. "Fine. As long as we drive."

Snow flurries danced in the sharp wind, but once the heat kicked in, the car was cozy. Annabeth was grateful for the ride. Of course she could take care of herself and walk or take the subway, but sometimes it was nice to be taken care of for a change. She didn't mind letting Percy be the protective boyfriend once in a while.

The ride was mostly quiet, both of them lost in thought. Annabeth watched the snow blow against the high-rise windows, and tried to figure out what was bothering her about the _oneiroi _theory. Something about it still felt off, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

Thinking of the _oneiroi_ as a group of daimones reminded her of the _arai_, the spirits of curses that attacked Bob, Percy, and her. She shuddered at the memory of how, though they were dozens of individuals, they spoke as one.

Percy glanced at her when she shivered, then reached over and turned up the heat, but he didn't say anything. His knuckles were white from clutching the steering wheel so hard. Annabeth wanted to reach out to him, but she also didn't want to distract him from driving. On a Friday night, traffic was intense. It took them twice as long as normal to get back to her dorm, but Annabeth wasn't complaining. Even when Percy pulled up in front of her building, she stayed in the car. Percy didn't comment, just shifted the car into park and leaned his elbows on the steering wheel.

"Are you alright?" Annabeth asked him.

Percy exhaled heavily. "Just pissed. I wish these damn immortals would knock it off." He met her eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine." She almost believed it. She curled up on the passenger seat, leaning against the headrest, keeping her eyes on his. "Besides, I'm not sure we've got it right, about the _oneiroi_."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I was thinking about the _arai_."

"Freaking hate them."

"Me too. But I was thinking about the way they worked as a group and all spoke as one. Even when just one attacked, it didn't feel individually spiteful. More just like, I don't know, like a sheep going along with the herd. Or just doing its job." She bit her lip when Percy raised an eyebrow at her, knowing she wasn't being totally clear. "I'm just thinking, if the _oneiroi_ are anything like the _arai_, I'm not sure it's them. This doesn't feel like a lot of different dream spirits dropping me nightmares. It feels targeted somehow. Like one specific spiteful consciousness." Annabeth had no idea how she knew that, but it felt right, and she'd learned through hard and painful experience to trust her instincts.

Percy had too. He considered what she said. "But it fits, right? This idea of _melas oneiros_ fits with that black smoke you keep seeing."

"It does," she agreed. "But I feel like I'm still missing something. Like I don't have all the pieces yet to see the whole picture."

"When do we ever?" His smile was tired, and she suspected hers was too when she returned it.

"I don't want to go to sleep," she admitted.

"You could come back to our place," Percy offered. "We can keep the door open like my mom said, or I could even sleep on the couch. At least you wouldn't be alone."

The idea was appealing. But a part of Annabeth knew this was something she needed to fight on her own. She couldn't let her fear or whatever was sending the nightmares control her. "You're sweet to offer, but I should probably stay here. I have that field trip downtown in the morning. Plus, there's other girls on my floor, so I'm not really alone here either."

"Okay. But if it gets bad _call me_. If you want to come over, I'll pick you up. No more almost freezing to death."

Annabeth managed a smile. "Deal."

"Good." Percy reached across the small car and pulled her in for a kiss. Annabeth relaxed against him, content to let the moment drag on.

He walked her to her door, as always, and even though all she really wanted was for him to hold her until the sun rose, the night was bitterly cold and she didn't want to make him stay out in the snow any longer than necessary. So she gave him a quick kiss good-bye, then let herself into her dorm, shutting the door as Percy drove away.

Naturally, she had another nightmare. It started once again in the Temple of Fear. The place made Annabeth feel sick with shame. It was humiliating to remember how completely she'd gone to pieces. If it hadn't been for Piper's support, she might have actually lost her mind down there.

But Piper wasn't here now. And Annabeth wanted answers.

She imagined her friend's voice. _Don't fight the fear. Ride it like a roller coaster._ As the waves of fear began to crash over her, Annabeth let them. She didn't try to stop the feelings. At first, she wondered if she'd made a horrible mistake as sheer terror paralyzed her. But gradually, Annabeth began to register that there was an ebb and flow to the fear, like the movement of soundwaves, which had been on the exam study guide she'd looked over before bed. Annabeth waited for the ebb, then summoned her courage.

"Who are you?" Her voice came out as a croak.

Tar-like smoke began to creep out of the twin doorways guarded by the carvings of Phobos and Deimos. It didn't fill the room, just slid insidiously across the floor, never higher than Annabeth's knees. She forced herself to stand her ground as it reached her, brushing against her jeans. Cold laughter rippled once again through the smoke. A disembodied voice whispered, _Your wits will not save you now, daughter of Athena. Suffer in my domain_!

The smoke rose like a cresting wave, boiling along its leading edge. Annabeth trusted her gut instinct. She ran. Straight through one of the doorways, plunging into darkness like she and Piper had done before. But this time, she didn't have her friend to guide her. Annabeth was lost in the dark.

She stumbled around, blind, hands stretched out before her. A sob bubbled up her throat, but she would not let it pass her lips. _It's only a dream_, she told herself fiercely. _I _will _get out of here. _All the while, the laughter rumbled through the stone beneath her feet.

Suddenly, she burst through a slimy doorway and found herself again beneath the Erechtheion in Athens. The place where Poseidon struck the ground with his trident thousands of years ago. The place where Percy first told her—_No_, she thought, anger briefly burning away the fear. _ I will not let you take that away from me. _She refused to allow whoever was haunting her dreams to twist _that _memory.

_Very well_, the voice hissed and Annabeth jumped. _If you do not wish to see what was, perhaps a glimpse of what will be._

The walls spun around her, and suddenly Annabeth was standing in the ruins of the Parthenon, surrounded by giants, watching in horror as a single drop of Percy's blood splashed to the ground, mingling with hers. The earth shook. And in the nightmare, the ground split apart. A chasm opened beneath Annabeth's feet and she fell into darkness.

She landed with a painful jerk. Trembling, she lifted her head to look around. It was Camp Half-Blood. But something was wrong. The earth was still shaking. Campers ran around frantically, weapons ready. A shadow fell across the grass and Annabeth craned her neck back to see a golden giant lift his foot to crush the camp. Before she could see what happened, the world spun and when she blinked, she was standing in a funeral parlor. An open coffin held a boy about her age with sandy hair. He looked vaguely familiar, but Annabeth didn't have time to place him before the scene changed again in a swirl of colors. Scenes flashed by: Leo, alive, but being held hostage with a crossbow pointed at his head; Grover, surrounded by flames; Piper with her face covered in blood, screaming; Jason tumbling to the ground with a spear in his back; a boy she didn't recognize facing off with a hideous ghoul, both of them standing in front of a hearse; demigod bodies in armor scattered across the hills that ringed Camp Jupiter; Frank standing alone before a massive army, bleeding from what might have been arrow wounds in his chest; Hazel kneeling beside a coffin; a massive serpent curled in a cave; a man striking a young girl with dark hair. And other things. Other horrible things. It took all of Annabeth's willpower to stay on her feet.

"I don't believe you," she forced out. "Those are lies."

Hollow chuckling drifted through the smoke that was once again rising around her. _They are the truth, Annabeth Chase. Or at least, they will be. Most have not yet come to pass. And you will not stop them._

Annabeth clenched her fists to stop her hands from shaking. "Show yourself."

_Oh, I will, daughter of Athena, but not yet. I have more planned for you. The demigod brat who dishonored my mother. You are a wealth of nightmares. I am so enjoying torturing you. _

"Only a coward hides in the darkness." Despite her best efforts, Annabeth's voice trembled.

The laughter turned wild, unhinged. Fear clamped like an iron manacle around Annabeth's heart. _Never fear, child. I will face you soon. Until then, a parting gift._

The darkness dissolved, revealing Arachne's shrine in Rome, but minus the Athena Parthenos. The cavern of Tartarus yawned like a hungry monster beneath the shattered floor. Webs draped the walls, teeming with hundreds of spiders. Annabeth's breathing turned shallow. Then she caught the sound of scuttling legs behind her.

Annabeth turned just in time to see the massive shape of Arachne charging at her. Her scream was cut off as the spider's pincers closed around her throat, squeezing hard. Annabeth thrashed and struggled, but it was no good. The spider never slowed down. She tackled Annabeth right into the pit. And Tartarus devoured them.

Annabeth sat bolt upright in bed, smothering a shriek with a hand clapped over her mouth. Nausea rolled through her and she scrambled up, barely making it to the trashcan in time.

Afterwards, she stayed sitting on the floor, leaning her head against the wall, staring at the ceiling because she was afraid to close her eyes. No going back to sleep any time soon.

Annabeth replayed the nightmare. Actually, she tried to skip the most awful parts, focusing instead on the conversation with the voice, picking out any tiny pieces of information she could find. But she still couldn't put the whole picture together.

A bitter taste filled her mouth. There were just too many minor gods and other immortals. Maybe if she still had Daedalus's laptop she could track down the information, but it was long gone. And she felt like the mortal Internet had taken her as far as it was going to right now. Plus there was always an inherent risk when typing monster names into the Google search bar. She could check in with Chiron, maybe. But it wasn't like even he kept an index of all the various gods and goddesses. Or…the obvious answer dropped into place in her brain. Reaching up onto her desk, Annabeth grabbed the prism and flashlight she kept for just this purpose.

She wrestled her hair into a ponytail as she checked the time. It was one thirty in the morning, which meant it was only ten thirty in California. It _was _Friday night, though, and she hesitated, hoping she wouldn't be interrupting date night or something. But she could always swipe through the message if it wasn't a good time to call.

Sitting cross-legged on her chilly dorm floor in pajama pants and a sweatshirt, Annabeth set up the prism and flashlight to create a rainbow. She grabbed a drachma from the stash she kept in her desk drawer, tossed it into the rainbow, and asked for Jason Grace. Thankfully, the Iris-message went through without an issue, something that had become a rarity since July.

The son of Jupiter slowly came into focus, sitting at a desk with his back to her.

"Hey, Jason."

He jumped. Tiny plastic houses clattered onto the floor. Annabeth winced as Jason whipped around, eyes wide behind his glasses. "Oh. Annabeth, hey."

"Sorry," she said as Jason bent down to pick up the green and red houses he'd knocked off the desk. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay." Jason smiled. He was always so calm and even-tempered. Annabeth had initially found that quality hard to trust, but over time on the _Argo II_, it had become reassuring. There was something reliably steady about him. She could see why Piper liked him. He set the little pieces down and asked, "What's going on?"

"Are those Monopoly houses?"

"Uh, yeah. And hotels." Jason ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the desk behind him. He swiveled in his chair, picked up the posterboard he'd been working with, then spun back around to show it to her. "It's Camp Jupiter. I've been working out a plan for the different shrines, using the Monopoly pieces to mark spots." He patted a notebook sitting on the corner of his desk. "I've got some designs started. Figured you could give me a hand when it's all ready."

"Absolutely," Annabeth said. She studied the diorama as best she could through the slightly fuzzy I-M. "That looks great, Jason."

"Thanks." He smiled again as he studied his work, mostly proudly, but she almost thought she detected something wistful there too, or a little sad. It was gone almost immediately though as he set the posterboard down and looked at her. "So, uh, did you need something? Not that I mind saying hi, but you usually call, um, Piper."

"Actually, I had a question for you. About the minor gods." She explained the situation with her nightmares and what she'd discovered about the _oneiroi_. "I know you've been doing all this research, so I guess I was just wondering if you'd come across any god of dreams, besides Morpheus. Or if there's, I don't know, specifically a god of nightmares."

Jason frowned thoughtfully. He picked up a stack of notes and began leafing through them. "You might be in luck. There was something just the other day…I found it in this old scroll from New Rome…where is it?" He flipped through a few more pages, muttering to himself, then held up a piece of notebook paper triumphantly. "Here! You mentioned the _oneiroi_, right? Well this guy was sometimes listed as one of them, but he also has his own specific duties as the spirit of nightmares. Epiales, a son of Nyx." Jason glanced up at her briefly, then back down at his notes. "Not sure about any Roman form, but the guy was definitely a part of Greek mythology, mentioned in a couple ancient sources. He was sometimes known as the _melas oneiros__, the black dream. _This could be your guy."

Annabeth's mouth felt dry. Though she'd never heard it before, the name Epiales resonated like a tuning fork struck against her ribs. "That sounds right. Are there—are there any myths or stories associated with him?"

"Nothing really." Jason scanned his notes, flipping the paper over, then shook his head. "Just the fact about him being the personification of nightmares. Doesn't look like he's known for much else. Any idea why he's coming after you?"

"I think—I think he's mad about how I tricked Nyx." Annabeth remembered the voice in her dream "He called me 'the demigod brat who dishonored his mother.' Maybe he's mad we escaped her."

"Oh yeah. Didn't you guys pretend to be tourists or something?"

"Something like that. It was ridiculous, but it worked." Annabeth pressed her hands against the cold tile floor to stop her fingers from trembling. "It's only been the nightmares so far, but tonight he said something about facing me soon."

Jason's expression darkened, like storm clouds rolling in. "That definitely sounds like a threat. I'm sure you don't need me to say 'Keep a weapon on you,' but, uh, keep a weapon on you."

"That's the plan."

"Does Percy know about all this?"

"He knows about the nightmares and the _oneiroi_. Not tonight's dream yet, it just happened and I didn't want to wake him up again. I'll tell him tomorrow." She rubbed her eyes. Gods, she was tired. A pleasant _ding_ sounded from the rainbow, signaling the message was almost ready to time out. "Shoot, my drachma's almost up. Listen, Jason, thanks for the help. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. If you need anything else, just let me know. Stay safe out there, Annabeth."

"Thanks." She remembered the vision in the dream, of Jason falling to the ground with a spear in his back. But surely that was just a nightmare-twisted version of what happened on Ithaca. "You too. And hey, bring some of your designs to the next _Argo II _reunion, I'd love to look over them."

"I will. Oh, and tell Percy I said 'sup?" Jason grinned.

"Okay," Annabeth said with a laugh. "Tell Piper hi for me and I'll call her as soon as the technology cooperates."

Jason's smile flickered briefly. "Sure. I will. See you, Annabeth."

"Bye, Jason."

Her last view before the I-M fizzled out was of him sitting in his desk chair, pushing his glasses up his nose as he contemplated his notes.

Annabeth stayed on the floor for a couple more minutes, thinking. Then she put her prism and flashlight away, and grabbed her laptop. Searching for Epiales was risky, but it ended up not mattering because the search turned up nothing new. All she could find was information that corroborated what Jason had already told her. By the time she gave up, it was nearly three in the morning. Forcefully shutting her computer, Annabeth flopped back on her bed. Her alarm was going to go off in three hours. She _needed _some more sleep. But her brain didn't want to shut off. Finally, she remembered what Percy had done for her, telling random stories until she drifted off. She tried to do the same now, running through past Capture the Flag games in her mind until finally, in the middle of reattaching a bronze dragon's head, she fell asleep.

Once again, she dreamed of the beach and the falling star. But this time, when the woman's voice spoke about a lady rising from the sea, frustration filled Annabeth. She actually stomped her foot, sending sand flying. "I don't know what that means," she shot back at the empty ocean.

There was a pause, then the voice said softly, "You will soon, child."

An obnoxious jangling tune broke through the quiet night, yanking Annabeth out of the dream. Groaning, she reached over and shut off her alarm. Flinging an arm over her eyes, she contemplated just going back to sleep. But that wasn't really an option. She only had an hour to get down to the boat docks for her extra-curricular field trip today. It had sounded like a much better idea a month ago when she'd signed up. Grumbling Greek curses, Annabeth dragged herself out of bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Fortunately, the field trip was a lot more enjoyable than Annabeth had anticipated. Her AP History teacher, Miss Clark, had a fondness for architecture, so she'd arranged for anyone who was interested to sign up to take a boat trip around Manhattan and learn more about the different landmarks and buildings, including their construction and design. The idea had struck Annabeth at first as somewhat touristy, but it turned out to be great. Between the teacher and the guide, she was nearly overwhelmed by a wealth of new information. And the handful of classmates who had also decided to go on an optional field trip at 7am on a Saturday were all sufficiently interested in the topic so that they were able to have some great discussions. Thankfully, too, the tour was in an enclosed boat with heat, though it was still drafty.

All in all, Annabeth was in a surprisingly good mood by the time they reached their last stop.

"The Statue of Liberty," Miss Clark announced proudly. She gave them the rundown on the statue: a gift from France, shipped in pieces and assembled, the usual statistics about height and how many stairs. What the teacher didn't share, probably because she didn't know, was that the statue had been designed to resemble Athena. Annabeth had told Percy that before, though she doubted he remembered. Now, standing at the base, Annabeth surveyed the statue critically, especially the face far above, comparing it to the Athena Parthenos. It was, she decided, a pretty good representation overall. And the way it sat on its little island in the middle of the harbor made it appear as if the statue was rising right out of the water.

_Find me on the island where the lady rises from the sea_.

Annabeth felt a tingle down her spine as realization hit her.

This _had _to be the place. Annabeth looked around, one hand resting on the hilt of her drakon bone sword, which the Mist, she assumed, was concealing, since no one had mentioned it yet (although one classmate had complimented the scarf around her waist; the Mist was weird). Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Annabeth was on high alert as she followed the rest of her group up the dozens of steps to the top of the statue. By the time they reached the crown, Annabeth was feeling very grateful for her Camp Half-Blood training, which meant she was slightly less sweaty and out of breath than her classmates.

The climb was worth it, though. The view from the crown was stunning. The skyscrapers of Manhattan soared in front of them, while the harbor churned all around, busy with ferries, ships, and other vessels.

"Okay," her teacher announced once the tour guide finished her spiel about the statue, "we've got about half an hour up here. I hope you all brought sketchbooks like I asked. I'd like you to take some of this time to find something in either the city or around the harbor that catches your interest and create a sketch. When we go to lunch, we'll go over them and see what you all observed."

It was one of those rare assignments that happened to be right up Annabeth's alley. She briefly forgot her nightmare situation as she studied the panoramic cityscape, deciding what to sketch. Finally, she settled on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Its soaring towers and the demanding way it captured attention by its sheer size spoke to her, although there was something graceful about its suspension style, too. Absorbed in her work, Annabeth wasn't paying attention to anyone approaching her until a soft voice said, "I see you found your way here."

At first she thought the woman was simply her teacher or the guide, but they were both standing on the other side of the room. Plus, after another moment of observation, it was clear that this woman was not a mortal. She was too coldly beautiful, for one thing, and her eyes were pure black pupils, no irises. Not to mention the fact that she gave off a clear aura of power in the way that only immortals did.

Annabeth scrambled to her feet. Glancing at her group scattered around the monument, she kept her voice low and asked, "Who are you?"

"Walk with me," the woman said. She crossed to the other side of the room, facing the windows that looked out on Manhattan. When Annabeth joined her, she followed the woman's gaze across the towering skyscrapers. "I like this place," the woman mused. "The statue of a powerful woman, who has stood for over a century as a symbol of hope to so many who arrived from so far away to pursue their dreams for a good life. Plus, I quite enjoy the view."

"Who are you?" Annabeth asked again.

The woman sighed. "I would not expect you to know me. Even among the Titans, my name was never well-known."

Prickles of fear crept up Annabeth's neck. "You're a Titan?"

"Yes. I am Asteria, Titan of falling stars and nighttime divination. I believe you've met my daughter Hecate?"

"Um, briefly," Annabeth said. "My friend Hazel was the one she really took an interest in."

"Ah, yes, Hazel Levesque. The daughter of Pluto. An intriguing demigod." Asteria seemed briefly lost in thought, then continued, "At any rate, I am here to help _you, _Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. I know what you have been struggling with, the demon who threatens you."

"Epiales," Annabeth supplied. "The spirit of nightmares."

"Indeed." Asteria nodded approvingly. "You have figured that out then. I knew you were clever."

"Actually I had some help from my friend Jason Grace," Annabeth admitted.

"The son of Jupiter." Asteria pursed her lips. "Another intriguing demigod. I have followed his path with interest." Noting Annabeth's surprised look, the Titan elaborated. "As I said, I am a goddess of divination, particularly astrology. Often I take an interest in demigods whose paths have been charted in the stars. Children tied to prophecies or with strange fates, such as Hazel and Jason. Or his sister, Thalia Grace. Hazel's brother, Nico di Angelo. Luke Castellan. Those Roman praetors, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and Frank Zhang. Your friend Perseus Jackson, naturally. And you, my dear." Asteria's gaze was suddenly intense. "You fascinate me. Your role has been a strange one. In the background, yet on the front lines. Rarely believed to be a child of prophecy, yet always entwined in them. Without you, I have no doubt that Olympus would have fallen long ago."

Annabeth felt her face flush. Asteria's words made her uncomfortable, though she suspected there was some truth there. "It wasn't just me, though. There was always Percy or our other friends—"

"Indeed. Yet you always play a crucial role. Do not discount that. At any rate," Asteria waved a hand, "that is not why I am here. I have come to offer some aid in your fight with Epiales."

"My fight?" Annabeth hadn't been aware it _was _a fight, although now that she thought about it, she guessed she'd already been battling the spirit for over a week.

"A gift for you," Asteria said without acknowledging Annabeth's comment. The Titan held her hands up and the space between them began to glow. When the glow faded, she was holding a glass jar filled with bright yellow light. When she handed it to Annabeth, the jar was warm to the touch. "Starlight. People think of it as gentle, but stars are some of the most turbulent and violent objects in the universe. There is great power in starlight. I believe you will find that it can help you. After all, as one of your greatest philosophers said, a Dr. King, I believe, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.'"

"Thank you, my lady," Annabeth said. Carefully, she slid the jar into her backpack, nestling it safely beside her textbooks. "But why are you helping me? I mean, I fought against the Titans."

"Not all Titans followed Kronos blindly. Nor are we all inherently bad," Asteria replied. "I believe you learned that recently, did you not?"

An image of a silver-haired janitor smiling down at her as a pair of elevator doors snapped shut filled Annabeth's mind. Her voice was ragged when she answered, "I did."

"There you go. I am a goddess of stars, Annabeth Chase, the steady lights in the darkness of the night. Let me help you drive away the darkness haunting you."

"Why?" Annabeth had been around immortals long enough to know that no gift came without a price.

Asteria smiled sadly. She smoothed Annabeth's hair back in a surprisingly maternal gesture. "As I said, I have followed your path with interest, child. And I know it has not been an easy one to walk. So let us call this a simple act of kindness. We could use more of that in the world."

With that, the Titan exited the crown, leaving Annabeth alone to ponder her words.

The rest of the trip passed without incident. Annabeth finished her sketch, which her teacher was very happy with. On her walk from the subway station back to her dorm, though, Annabeth was incredibly aware of the jar of starlight in her backpack, its warmth reaching her even through all the layers of fabric in between. When she got to her room, she set her backpack carefully on her desk chair, grabbed her flashlight, prism, and a couple of drachmas, then sat down on her bed to call Percy.

It took three tries, but finally the I-M connected. Percy was stretched out on his bed, a textbook held up in the air in front of him, eyes narrowed in concentration, lips mouthing the words as he read. Annabeth's heart leapt. She couldn't believe she'd caught him studying and that made her ridiculously happy. Just for fun, she greeted him with, "Hi, baby."

As she'd hoped, a surprised but happy smile lit up his face when he spotted her and registered what she'd said. He sat up and tossed the textbook aside, responding with, "Hey, beautiful."

Annabeth couldn't help beaming. "Sorry to interrupt study time."

"Not a problem," Percy said. "I needed a break. How was your field trip?"

"It was really fun," Annabeth said. "I learned a lot."

"Only you would put those two things together, Wise Girl."

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain. I believe I just caught you in bed with a textbook, so…" They both laughed. Annabeth hated to change the light, easy tone of the conversation, but she needed to fill Percy in on what was happening in case the Iris-message dropped out. Adopting a more serious expression, though it was difficult, she said, "Actually, something weird happened on the field trip. And I had another nightmare last night. Also, Jason said to tell you 'sup."

Percy frowned, looking confused. "Pretty sure I need more information about all of that."

Annabeth explained about the new nightmare, then how she'd called Jason and, thanks to him, learned about Epiales. She finished by describing the strange conversation with Asteria at the Statue of Liberty today. When she stopped talking, Percy was looking down, drumming his fingers against his knees. After a moment, he raised his head. "Okay, I know you said she just wants to help, but I'm remembering the last time a Titan handed _me _a 'helpful'" he made air quotes with his fingers, "jar. And it wasn't exactly out of the kindness of his heart."

Annabeth hadn't forgotten Prometheus gifting Percy with Pandora's _pithos_. "I thought about that. But something about Asteria felt genuine. And she…she mentioned Bob."

"That doesn't necessarily make her a friend," Percy said, but his voice was quiet, not accusing.

"I know." Annabeth sighed, unable to explain the way she'd felt speaking to Asteria. "There was just something about her, though, the way she talked about demigods and having a hard path, like…" she paused, trying to find the right word. Then it came to her. "Sympathy. Like she had sympathy for us. I've _never _felt that from an immortal before. Have you?"

Percy considered this. "No. Not for real, anyway. Most of what I've gotten from immortals is disdain, arrogance, threats, that kind of thing."

"Exactly. I don't know why, but I believe her. I know that could be dangerous but," her eyes drifted to her backpack, "I think I have to trust her. She's got to be better than this Epiales jerk anyway."

"True." A crease appeared between Percy's eyebrows. "Still, be careful, okay? Are you going out tonight?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Doubt it. I have an essay due Monday, so I'm probably going to stay in and work on that."

Percy made a face. "Gross. I hate essays. Not that it's going to be any more exciting over here." He gestured to the textbook he'd been reading earlier. "How about we go out for lunch tomorrow though? Maybe even catch an afternoon movie?"

Despite her worries, Annabeth smiled. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." Percy grinned. "You know, I figured since we _are _dating, it'd be nice to go on one once in a while. Instead of just studying and fighting monsters. Even if that's kind of our thing."

"Gods, that's depressing," Annabeth said. "But yes, Percy, I would love to go on a date with you."

"Awesome." Holy Poseidon, his sea-green eyes were gorgeous when he smiled at her like that. "Want to meet at that one restaurant by Central Park? Where we went back in September?"

"Oh yeah, that place was cute," Annabeth remembered. "Like one o'clock?"

"Perfect."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said as she raised a hand to swipe through the rainbow. "Love you."

"Love you, baby." She caught a glimpse of Percy's troublemaker smirk as the image faded, which told her he probably realized _exactly _what that last sentence had done to her pulse.

"Jerk," she muttered to herself as she leaned down to grab her laptop, but somehow she suspected the word had a lot less impact when she couldn't hide the huge smile on her face.

* * *

Annabeth's essay didn't take as long to write as she'd been afraid it would. Which meant that after dinner she found herself with some unexpected free time. Since the I-Ms to Jason and Percy had worked, she decided to try calling Piper. Between busy school schedules and unreliable communications, it had been a while since they'd had a chance to catch up.

It took several tries, but finally the I-M connected. Annabeth waited as the vaporous image solidified to reveal Piper standing on a balcony, staring out over the Pacific Ocean. Except for the wind ruffling her dark hair, it could have been a photo for a movie poster. But Annabeth knew better than to tell her friend that.

"Piper!"

Piper spun away from the railing. Her eyes narrowed like she was scanning for a threat, then lit up when they fell on the Iris-message.

"Annabeth!" Piper looked ready to hug her through the message. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, mostly," Annabeth said. "I was just calling to chat. It's been forever."

"It has. Stupid communication issues." Piper walked over and sat down on a deck chair closer to the I-M. "So how's life?"

They spent some time catching up, talking about school, families, the guys, their friends, and everything else. Occasionally, when the rainbow chimed, Annabeth tossed in another gold drachma.

"Have you heard from Hazel at all recently?" Annabeth asked, after filling Piper in on some recent Camp Half-Blood happenings.

Piper shook her head. "I haven't heard from anyone. Honestly, communications seem to be getting even more unreliable. I figured after Gaea was gone the problems would fix themselves, but apparently not."

"I know." Annabeth pursed her lips. "We assumed Gaea was causing things to not work right, but what if she just created the initial problem? Maybe it's one of those things where it's only a minor glitch at first, but when that's not fixed, it becomes a larger issue over time."

"But without knowing exactly what she messed up, it's hard to know what to fix," Piper pointed out.

"Yeah." Annabeth considered the problem for a few more moments, but her over-taxed brain refused to take on anything else right now. She shook her head. "Hopefully it'll resolve itself. Eventually."

"Because that usually happens," Piper said with a thin smile.

Annabeth laughed weakly. "I can dream, can't I? Ugh, speaking of which…." She filled Piper in on the nightmares and Epiales. When she mentioned Jason, Piper looked down at her hand, which was tracing the seams on the deck chair cushion. "Anyway, he was really helpful," Annabeth said. "And he showed me the plans for Temple Hill at Camp Jupiter. It's amazing how much he's been able to do in just a few months."

"Yeah, he's really into it." Piper's voice was flat.

Annabeth studied her friend's face, then asked gently, "Everything okay with you two?"

Piper shrugged. "Things have just been a little rocky lately. I don't know. It's like ever since we came out here and came down from the quest and searching for Leo and everything…I don't know," she said again, raising her hands helplessly. "I'm the head counselor for Aphrodite cabin, everybody comes to me for relationship advice, and I do my best, but with my own relationship I just feel like I'm making it all up as I go along."

Annabeth hesitated, trying to figure out what to say. "Piper, there's no roadmap for relationships. I think _everybody_ is just making it up as they go along. I mean, I know I am. And as a very wise and intelligent and amazing friend once told me, you can't plan for everything. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and trust that it'll all work out. Even when that's terrifying."

A tiny smile flickered across Piper's lips. "That friend sounds like she's full of it."

"That friend doesn't give herself enough credit," Annabeth countered.

Piper flashed her an appreciative smile, but it didn't last long. Her shoulders slumped. "Annabeth, are you happy with Percy?"

The question startled her. "Yes. I mean, he annoys me sometimes, and we argue occasionally, but overall, yes. Being with him makes me happy."

Piper bit her lip. "And do you still get…like, butterflies around him?"

Her mind flashed back to the conversation she'd had with him earlier that day and the way his smile sent an elated, bubbly feeling rushing through her. "Yeah, I do. A lot, actually."

Piper nodded, still tracing the seams in the cushion with her finger, a thoughtful frown on her face.

When Piper didn't say anything, Annabeth finally asked hesitantly, "Do…do you? With Jason?"

"Sometimes," she said in an unconvincing tone. She pulled her hand back into her lap and looked at Annabeth. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I thought…I guess I thought a lot of things. And now I'm wondering if any of them were true. Or if they were just true at the time but they're not anymore." She shook her head. "Sorry if I'm not making much sense."

"It's okay." Annabeth thought she understood what Piper was trying to say without actually saying it. Her heart ached for her friend because she'd seen Piper and Jason's relationship develop almost from the beginning. But sometimes, she knew, things changed. "Honestly, Piper? I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. Trust me, I know the feeling. But you don't have to give perfect advice just because of who your mom is. Or have a perfect relationship, which isn't a thing anyway. Relationships are hard sometimes. You have to keep deciding if you still want to fight for it or…" she paused, then said, "…or let it go."

Piper was quiet. Annabeth wished she could be there in person to give her friend what looked like a much needed hug. Finally, though, Piper wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Annabeth. I…I needed to hear that."

"You know I'm always here for you no matter what, right?"

"I know." Neither of them said anything for a moment. Then Piper sighed. "Wouldn't it be nice if you could just have that happily ever after, ride off into the sunset feeling all the time?"

"Yes. But maybe if you felt that way all the time, you wouldn't appreciate it as much."

"True. The hard stuff makes you appreciate the good stuff, blah, blah, blah." Piper exhaled. Her shoulders adjusted like a weight had been lifted off them. This time, when she looked up, there was a teasing twinkle in her eyes. "Of course, _some people_ just make it look easy all the time."

Annabeth snorted. "Gods, I hate it when people say that. I mean, I know you're just teasing, so it's fine, but some people at camp and school really say that. But that's only because they didn't see the almost four years of us being friends and trying to figure stuff out before we got together. And that was definitely _not _easy. There were times we could barely even talk to each other. Even now, we're in a really good place, but we still have to work at it, you know? Like we still have to put in the effort and not take each other for granted. And sometimes that's hard." She stopped and took a deep breath. "Sorry, didn't mean to kind of rant there."

"That's okay." Piper smiled. "I kind of set you up with that one."

"Yeah, you did. You better watch yourself, McLean."

"Bring it on, Chase."

They both started laughing then. It felt refreshing, just being able to hang out and talk about what was going on in their lives. Annabeth was seriously grateful the I-M had gone through tonight.

When they stopped laughing, Piper said, "By the way, our friendiversary is coming up soon."

"Our what now?"

"Friendiversary," Piper said. "Like the anniversary of becoming friends with somebody."

"That's a thing?" Annabeth asked incredulously.

"Apparently. I heard some girls at school mention it. I think it's actually some dumb social media thing, but then when I thought about it, I figured I wouldn't mind celebrating that with you and Hazel."

Annabeth considered that. "Yeah, it would be fun with you guys. I assume ice cream and snacks would be involved?"

"Obviously."

"Okay then. The next time we get a chance to hang out, we'll celebrate our one-year friend anniversary."

"Deal." Piper grinned. "Wow, I actually can't believe we've _only _known each other a year. And Hazel for about six months. It seems so much longer."

"I'm pretty sure this was the longest year ever," Annabeth agreed. "Plus, you know, quests make everything more intense. So however long you know somebody on a quest, you multiply that by four. Or ten. It's not an exact science."

"Ah." Piper nodded very seriously. "That makes absolute and total complete perfect sense."

Their eyes met and they both started laughing again.

The rainbow dinged, and Annabeth reached for another drachma, but came up empty. "Shoot, I'm out of drachmas. I'll have to stock back up at camp."

"Darn," Piper said. "I'm glad you called, though, Annabeth. It was so good to talk to you."

"You too." Annabeth felt a twinge of regret as the I-M began to fade. "We'll figure out a way to hang out for real soon. And hey, with everything…you'll do the right thing. Just trust yourself."

"Thanks. I'll do my best." Piper's smile was a little sad. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll try. Stay safe out there!"

"You too!"

They exchanged a final smile and wave as the Iris-message fizzled out.

A little while later, curled up in bed watching one of the old romantic comedy movies her dad had introduced her to, Annabeth thought back over her conversation with Piper. She hoped everything would work out for her friend. She recalled how devastated Piper had been, the day they'd met last December and she learned her relationship with Jason had simply been Mist-memories. At the time, Annabeth had tried to cheer her up by suggesting things might work out for real between them. And they had. Piper and Jason had been together almost a year now. But Annabeth guessed that was still a hard way to begin. The quest in Europe and the month Jason and Piper had spent searching for Leo hadn't been easy either. Hopefully, though, they could work through this rough patch. And if not…then hopefully they both knew their friends would be there for them regardless.

The conversation had made also made Annabeth more grateful than ever for the pretty solid foundation she and Percy had. Things definitely weren't always perfect, but they knew each other well and knew how to work around each other's flaws. Besides, they'd been supporting each other for years, so it felt like a natural part of their relationship.

That had been one of the most difficult things to deal with when Percy was missing, Annabeth reflected. She turned off her lamp, leaving her room illuminated only by the flickering light of the movie playing on her laptop screen. She'd missed the romantic stuff, sure, but she'd also missed just talking to him. She kept wanting to tell him things or bounce ideas off him, all winter and spring, but he wasn't there. Annabeth hadn't realized how much she valued his support until it was yanked away.

But he was home now. Annabeth shook her head, trying to clear away the painful memories. Being forced to revisit that awful time last year when he'd first gone missing over and over in her nightmares was starting to get to her. The thought of facing more nightmares tonight filled her stomach with a cement block of dread. But she was also really tired.

Annabeth focused her attention on the black and white movie playing, to distract herself. _I am a child of Athena_, she thought fiercely. _I control my own mind_.

But that, she realized in the next second, wasn't entirely true. At least, not when it came to the nightmares. And that was part of why she found them so terrifying. They made her feel out of control of one thing she'd always been able to rely on: her mind.

Annabeth clenched her fists. She needed to take her dreams back. A couple years ago, she'd read that often the last thing you were thinking about before falling asleep fed into your dreams. Maybe focusing on the nightmares was only leading to more nightmares. So instead, like when she'd tricked Arachne (_nope, bad memory, push it away_), she tried to divide her focus. Part of her attention was on the light, silly movie she was watching. The other part ran through some of her favorite memories, good times she'd spent with Percy and their friends, and even her family. Eventually, after forcing away the bad memories and focusing on the good through sheer force of will, Annabeth fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Maybe focusing on good stuff worked because for the first time in over a week, Annabeth didn't have a nightmare. The feeling was so strange that she woke up feeling groggy and disoriented, unable to believe she'd slept through the night. The fact just made her uneasy. It felt like a calm before the storm. Annabeth had been in enough battles to distrust the quiet.

However, she pushed the apprehension to the back of her mind for the morning while she finished up her homework and exam prep so she could actually enjoy the afternoon with Percy.

When Annabeth left her dorm, the temperature was actually above freezing for a change. But there was still a brisk wind which pushed against her as she walked fast down the street, head bent to keep her eyes from watering. She'd put on a tiny bit of make-up, since it had been a while since they'd been on anything they'd called a date, and she didn't want to show up to lunch with mascara running down her face. It was supposed to be waterproof, but nothing was ever guaranteed.

As she descended into the nearest subway station, Annabeth felt a faint prickle on the back of her neck. It was a feeling she was unfortunately familiar with. She was being watched. Her hand drifted to her sword hilt as nervousness gnawed at her stomach. A train was pulling into the station and she used the chaotic rush of people exiting and entering the cars to scan the platform, but couldn't pinpoint anyone who looked particularly interested in her. When she climbed onto the train and the doors slid shut, the sensation of being watched vanished, leaving Annabeth wondering if she'd only imagined it. Still, she kept her hand on her sword. She was also able to draw some comfort from the reassuring warmth of the starlight in her bag. Not knowing exactly what Asteria meant her to use it for, Annabeth had opted to keep the jar with her, as a precaution.

To her relief, the feeling of being watched didn't return when she stepped off the train. Maybe there had simply been a stray monster eyeing her earlier and she'd lost it by boarding the subway. Maybe.

It was still a few minutes before one o'clock when Annabeth reached the restaurant, so she was surprised to see Percy already waiting for her on the sidewalk. He typically ran late for everything. His hands were shoved in his coat pockets, shoulders hunched against the wind as he scuffed the toe of his shoe against the ground.

"Hey, you're early," she said, which seemed obvious once the words left her mouth.

Percy shrugged. "Just wanted to see you." His smile was tight when he kissed her cheek, which was her second indication that something was off. "No problems getting here?"

Annabeth debated whether to tell him about feeling watched on the subway, then decided it wasn't worth bringing up since nothing had happened. "No problems. _And _no nightmares last night. First time in over a week."

"Huh." Percy frowned, worry lines etched in his forehead. "Well yeah, that is good."

"What's wrong?" Annabeth stepped closer, looping her arm through Percy's.

He rested his fingers on top of hers as he glanced up and down the street. "Let's go inside and get a table, then I'll fill you in. I'm glad you didn't have nightmares last night, but I, um, kind of did."

Once they were seated and had ordered, Annabeth reached across the table and took Percy's hand. "Okay, Seaweed Brain. What happened last night?"

Keeping his eyes on their clasped hands, Percy said, "So you told me your nightmare started in the Temple of Fear. Mine started at the Doors of Death. On the Tartarus side. When—when _he _rose and I…dropped my sword." Percy's hand twitched like he wanted to pull it away, but Annabeth tightened her grip, not letting him. "Then it kind of replayed the memory, with us fighting monsters, and Bob and Damasen and everything, but this time, we didn't make it out." The fingers of his free hand tapped the table. "Anyway, then it went on to some other memories, but twisted, like you described. There was the old Titan War stuff, like Polyphemus actually ate Grover, and we lost the Battle of Manhattan, then more recent horrible stuff. Instead of us defeating the giant in Alaska, Frank's lifeline burned up and Alcyoneus killed Hazel. Jason and Piper drowned in that well in Rome. Other—other stuff, too." Percy finally looked up. "You said you had to watch me die a bunch of times. If this was that Epiales guy, he must not have too many fresh ideas because he did the same thing, only I had to watch you…over and over again. In Siren Bay, and on Atlas's mountain, and in the Labyrinth, and on the Williamsburg Bridge, and…well, just a lot of times. The worst though," he gripped her hand, "was the last one before I woke up. It was in Arachne's cavern. In the nightmare, I didn't get there in time. I didn't catch you. You were just gone."

Their drinks arrived then, and Percy took a sip of his Coke. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

Annabeth traced her thumb over his knuckles, studying his face and wondering if that raw edge of fear had been in her expression over the last week, especially that first night she'd woken up from the nightmares and run to his apartment. Tiny flares of anger leapt under her skin as she thought about Epiales tormenting Percy by showing him these warped scenes (because she had no doubt this was the nightmare god's doing). She untangled their fingers so she could slide her hand up his forearm, feeling the tension in the muscles there even through his shirtsleeve. "Percy, it's okay. The nightmares are lies. We're together. Everything's fine. Epiales is just trying to get under our skin for some reason."

"He's pretty effective at it." Percy exhaled. "I mean, it sounded bad when you described it, but actually _experiencing _those messed up memories…I mean, that's some dark stuff."

"Yeah, it is."

"And you've been dealing with this for a _week_?" When she nodded, Percy shook his head. "That sucks."

"Yes, it does," Annabeth agreed again. "I can't believe he came after you, though. If he ever actually decides to show his ugly face, I'm going to cut his stupid head off."

Percy's face softened, a slight smile driving away the fear as he turned his arm under hers so he could cup her elbow with his hand. "I really appreciate the sentiment, Wise Girl, but you might want to keep your voice down. The people at the next table are giving us a really weird look."

Startled, Annabeth glanced to her right. The older couple there was gawking at her. When they caught her looking, they hurriedly focused their attention back on their menus. Heat rushed to Annabeth's cheeks. "Oops."

But Percy was fighting back a smile, which was so much better to see than the previous scared, angry expression that Annabeth decided other people's opinions didn't really matter. He squeezed her elbow lightly, then withdrew his arm as the waiter arrived with their food. For a few minutes, they ate in quiet.

Finally, Annabeth asked, "Why didn't you call me?"

Percy finished chewing, then took a drink of his Coke. "I tried. Couple of times. Phone and I-M. Nothing went through. Believe me, I was tempted to run over to your dorm, but it was about fifteen degrees last night, so I talked myself out of it."

"Smart boy." Annabeth took a bite of her pasta, then poked his shin with her toe. "So how many times did you _actually _try to call?"  
Percy grinned sheepishly. "About ten. Give or take."

"Stupid communications issues."

"Yeah, it reminded me of being on the quest to Alaska last year," Percy admitted. "I kept trying to I-M you, but it never went through."

Annabeth paused with her fork raised. "You never told me that."

"I didn't? Huh." Percy took a bite of his burger. When he realized she was still staring at him, he shrugged. "I tried to call you a bunch of different times. The I-M just never connected. And I didn't remember your phone number until we got back to California. Then there was sort of a battle and stuff, so yeah. Pretty sure the only reason I was able to call my mom was because I used a payphone. That technology is so ancient even Gaea didn't bother messing with it."

Annabeth experienced the now familiar feeling of being both irritated with Percy while also wanting to throw her arms around him and kiss him, if they hadn't been in a crowded restaurant. How could he not have mentioned sooner that he'd tried to contact her too while he was gone? Not that she blamed him at all for calling his mom. Sally's relief when she'd gotten the message had been palpable. She hadn't been able to keep a smile off her face, even through the tears, when she'd replayed it for Annabeth (several times) the next day. Annabeth might have sobbed a little too when she'd heard Percy's voice again after so many months. But she had to admit, at the time, she'd wondered why he hadn't also called her. She'd figured maybe it had to do with the quest or not having time, but part of her had worried that just because he'd remembered his mom, it didn't necessarily mean he'd remembered her. Now, the idea of him trying repeatedly to contact her and failing made her heart ache.

"I love you, you know?" she said abruptly

Percy, who had been about to take another bite of his burger, looked up, eyebrows raised. "I know. I love you, too."

He said it so easily and casually, as if it were an obvious, indisputable fact, like saying _The sky is blue_. Annabeth's heart did a quick tap dance before she added, "And no more nightmare talk. We're just going to be normal and enjoy the rest of our date."

The couple at the next table glanced over again, but Annabeth ignored them. Percy shot her a smile and said, "Works for me."

They spent the rest of the meal talking about school and their friends, plus their plans for break at camp. Annabeth also told him about her call with Piper last night, though she kept some of what her friend confessed to herself. It felt nice to just relax and enjoy lunch together.

After the waiter cleared their plates and set down the check, Percy tucked some cash into the check holder, then stood up. He seemed more at ease now than when they'd entered the restaurant. "What do you think? Should we catch an afternoon movie?"

Annabeth ran through a quick mental checklist of the work she needed to get done this week, then decided she was caught up enough for the day. "I think that's a great idea."

They walked to the movie theater hand in hand. Annabeth had once again forgotten her gloves, but with one hand tucked in Percy's and the other in her coat pocket, it wasn't really a problem. The wind was howling, though, which made it hard to talk. It was a relief to step into the warmth of the theater lobby.

Percy let go of her hand so he could unzip his coat while they waited in line for tickets. "You look really pretty today, by the way. I mean, I always think you look good, but like, extra good today."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "You said it was a date, so I tried to dress up a little. You look nice, too." He was wearing a light blue button-down shirt with a faint stripe pattern. And he looked really good in it. She tapped one of the buttons. "I like this shirt."

"Only the best for you."

"That explains how I ended up with you."

The compliment caught him by surprise. She watched him process her words, his expression flattered but bemused, the way he looked anytime someone complimented him, like he didn't quite believe them. Annabeth always found herself torn, because while she liked that he wasn't arrogant, it was frustrating sometimes that he couldn't see his own good qualities. It also made her want to punch all the people who'd ever treated him poorly and made him doubt his worth. But since she couldn't do that, she just kissed his cheek and took his hand again, enjoying the way he smiled at her.

There really weren't many good movies out, so they settled on an action movie Annabeth knew Percy had been wanting to see. The movie was fine, but it seemed more focused on explosions and special effects than plot or character development. Annabeth lost interest about twenty-five minutes in. However, Percy seemed to be enjoying it, so that was good. She hoped it was taking his mind off the nightmares. Every time she thought about Epiales going after her boyfriend, anger flared in Annabeth's chest. It had been bad enough when this god of nightmares was harassing her, but she definitely didn't want him torturing Percy. She needed to figure out a plan to stop this, and soon.

But right now, she wanted to enjoy their date. _No more nightmare discussions today_, she reminded herself. She reached across Percy to grab some popcorn. He smelled really good again. On the screen, an intense car chase was happening, and Annabeth amused herself for a minute watching the way Percy's eyes widened and he grinned at whatever joke the hero had made. She'd missed the little moments like these while he was gone last year.

Percy caught her looking at him and leaned down to brush his lips lightly over hers. Oh yeah, she definitely still got butterflies.

As the movie reached the halfway point, the exhaustion of the past week caught up with Annabeth. The seat was comfortable and so was Percy's arm around her. Without meaning to, she nodded off against his shoulder.

Probably because of the shouts and explosions in the movie, Annabeth dreamed of being back on the battlefield outside Camp Half-Blood in August. The adrenaline rush of combat spiked in her veins, providing her with much-needed energy after the draining fight at the Parthenon. She scythed down _cynocephali_, wild centaurs, and other monsters with her drakon bone sword, while Percy fought at her back, both of them falling easily into their usual pattern. Then the ground shook violently. Annabeth stumbled. Her gaze fell on Half-Blood Hill, where she expected to see the massive form of Gaea rising. Instead, clouds of thick oily smoke poured over the hill and rolled across the battlefield. Demigods choked and fell, engulfed by the smoke.

A man stepped out onto the hillside. The smoke swirled around him. He was pale and emaciated, but wearing a designer suit that would have made Charon the ferryman envious. Even from this distance, Annabeth could see the man's burning eyes. They bored straight into her as she stood, paralyzed by fear, her sword dangling limply by her side. He raised one skeletal finger and pointed directly at her. Then he threw back his head and let loose a high-pitched, out of control laugh. Annabeth wanted to run away, but her feet had sunk into the ground. Smoke pooled around her knees. Desperately, she looked for Percy, but he had disappeared into the smoke along with all the other demigods. Panic choked Annabeth. She raised her sword, determined to fight even if it was a lost cause, but then the world shook again and the dream faded.

For a moment, Annabeth was completely disoriented. Then, after a moment, she remembered she was in the movie theater. The lights had come back on as the credits rolled across the screen. The apparent earthquake at the end of the dream had simply been because Percy was gently shaking her shoulder, trying to wake her up.

"Glad you enjoyed the movie," he said with a smirk.

"Sorry." Annabeth sat up straight, pushing her hair off her face. "I watched the first half. But I haven't slept well all week, so yeah."

"It's cool." Percy rose, then held out a hand to help her up. "I know action movies aren't really your thing. Besides, you're cute when you're using me for a pillow."

Annabeth managed a smile, trying to shake off the anxiety that had cropped up with the new dream. She took his hand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Let's get out of here."

Outside, the afternoon light was faded and watery. Walking out of a matinee movie was always a little disorienting because it was still light out. Annabeth felt jumpy. The sensation of being watched had settled over her again. She had to resist the urge to keep looking over her shoulder. After about two blocks, Percy cracked and asked her what was wrong.

Annabeth hesitated, then confessed to the feeling of being watched, both on the subway and now. "Plus, I had another nightmare in the theater. This one was even weirder than the rest." She told him about how the battle with Gaea had transformed into an attack by the strange emaciated man in the fancy suit, and the way he had pointed at her, then laughed.

"Has to be him, right?" Percy scanned the sidewalk. "Ep—well, probably shouldn't say his name. But you think that was what's-his-face?"

"I think so." Annabeth drew her coat tighter around herself, trying not to think about the man's burning eyes. "He's getting bolder. I think—I think he's going to show himself soon."

Percy scowled. His hand drifted to the pocket where he kept Riptide. "Like tonight?"

"No idea." Annabeth shook her head. "Honestly though, at this point, I'd almost prefer a straight up fight."

"Yeah, at least in a fight you know what you're dealing with," Percy said as they hurried through a cross-walk. "Dang it, though, I really hoped we could get one chill afternoon."

"One of these days," Annabeth said wistfully.

However, they made it back to her dorm with no problems. The feeling of being watched never left her, though, and when they reached her door, Annabeth thought she caught a dark shape darting across the street at the end of the block. Percy's eyes shifted like he'd seen the same thing.

"Why don't you come up for a bit?" Annabeth suggested. "It's still early. And hopefully whatever that is will just move on." _And leave us alone_, she thought, though she knew better than to tempt fate by saying it.

"I like that plan," Percy said. He followed her up the stairs to her room, and Annabeth didn't think it was only worry about whatever was lurking outside that was making her pulse pick up.

Her floor was noisy, everyone enjoying a few more hours of freedom before exam week set in. Percy wasn't the only guy hanging out, either, so no one gave them a second look. Annabeth waved to a few of her friends as she passed their doors, but didn't stop to chat. She really wanted to get to her window and check the street.

But when she got to her room and pressed her nose against the window, the street was empty of everything except a couple cars, a mom pushing a stroller, and a jogger. Nobody who looked even remotely mythological. Definitely no pale guy in a suit. Annabeth had to wonder if the nightmares were starting to make her paranoid. That wasn't a happy thought.

"Anything?" Percy asked.

"Nothing." Annabeth turned away from the window and set her bag on the floor, then shrugged out of her coat, hanging it over her desk chair. As she took off her shoes, she noticed Percy was still hovering near the doorway, as if unsure what to do next. Which was ridiculous because he'd been to her dorm room multiple times. Annabeth rolled her eyes as she grabbed her laptop and sat down on her bed. "Percy, take your coat off and sit down."

"Okay." He draped his coat over hers on the chair and kicked off his sneakers. Annabeth was already sitting cross-legged with her laptop open when he dropped onto the bed beside her. "Looking up more information about our godly not-friend out there?"

"Nope." Annabeth clicked the keys, then tilted the screen so he could see the streaming website she'd pulled up. "I refuse to let him ruin the rest of our day. So we're going to watch some dumb TV shows and just hang out. Probably order pizza for dinner after a while. If that works for you?"

Percy stared at her for a few moments, then a smile spread slowly across his face. "That definitely works for me. Have I told you lately that I love your plans?"

"Just a few minutes ago, downstairs." Annabeth balanced the computer on the stack of books on her nightstand, then hit play on the show she'd pulled up. "And sometimes you totally hate my plans."

"Only when they involve using me as bait," Percy protested. "Like setting me up to get my butt kicked in my first game of capture the flag."

"I just try to play to your strengths, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased. "Like your incredible talent for pissing off Clarisse."

"Pissing off dangerous people _is _one of my skills," Percy agreed. He hooked an arm around her waist. "And I guess you did try to help me."

"Exactly. I've had your back since day one." Just to prove her point, she ran her hand up his back. The fabric of his shirt was smooth and cool.

Percy tightened his arm around her. "So what show are we watching?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Nope." Without hesitation, he kissed her. Annabeth happily pushed thoughts of Epiales, Asteria, exams, and everything else out of her brain, instead allowing herself to sink into the moment with Percy.

She eventually resurfaced to remind him that, "The door is open."

"We could close it," he suggested.

"We could, but that'll just encourage somebody to knock."

"That's annoying."

"It really is." But the door was half-closed, mostly hiding them from the hallway, so Annabeth kissed him again.

After a few moments, Percy pulled back to give her his trademark smirk. "I knew you were just using the possible monster attack as a pretense to drag me to your room."

"Pretense?" Annabeth pushed herself up on her elbows. "Another SAT prep word?"

"Yeah. Did I use it right?"

"You did." She gave him a quick kiss. "And you're also not wrong. I mean, I really _did_ see something in the street, but haven't you ever heard of killing two birds with one stone?"

"That phrase always seems unnecessarily violent towards birds."

"Oh, for the—"

"Seriously, mention that one to Grover and see what happens."

"Percy!"

He was still grinning when his lips found hers again, and Annabeth decided not to smack him. This time.

They spent the rest of the evening hanging out. They actually _did _watch some TV, plus a few of her floormates dropped in to chat. When her laptop started to die, Annabeth carried it over to her desk to plug it in. She took the opportunity to go ahead and place an online pizza order, too. That seemed more reliable than trying to make a phone call. Once the order was placed, she announced, "Pizza will be here in half an hour."

"Awesome."

Apparently they weren't the only ones who'd ordered takeout tonight. The rooms were a smorgasboard of Thai, Chinese, pizza, burgers, and even fried chicken. The smells made Annabeth's stomach growl as she jogged down the stairs half an hour later to meet the pizza guy.

Dread smacked her in the face the moment she opened the door, which was a lot less pleasant than the smells of pepperoni, olives, and cheese drifting up from the box the pizza guy was holding out. Annabeth chanced a glance up and down the street as she hurriedly paid the guy, but she didn't see anything strange. However, it was a relief to accept the pizza, then close and lock the door again.

All the way up the stairs, she tried to convince herself she was imagining things, but with no luck. Especially when she found Percy standing at her window, peeking through a small crack in the curtains. They'd been open when she left, so he must have just closed them.

"What's up?" she asked, setting the pizza box on her desk.

Percy was frowning at the street. "Thought I saw something, but there's nothing now."

Annabeth moved next to him to peer out the window. The street was dark, lit only by the blue glow of streetlights. Shadows puddled in strange places. She almost thought she caught a flash of something in the corner of her eye, but there was nothing when she looked.

Percy glanced sheepishly at her. "Guess I'm sticking around a little longer."

"Guess so." Annabeth took his hand. "Do you think Paul would come pick you up later, so you don't have to walk back?"

"Probably. He's usually cool about stuff like that. It'll be fine." Percy ran his thumb along the inside of her wrist. "So about that pizza?"

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, let's eat before something picks a fight."

"That's always been my philosophy."

Before she grabbed food, Annabeth went back to her laptop. She clicked from the pizza tracker into a new tab to check something for one of her classes. There was an assignment due tonight and she wanted to triple check that she had submitted it correctly. While she was looking, she asked, "Do you need to call your mom and let her know where you are?"

"Nah, she knew we were hanging out today. She won't be worried this early."

"Good." Satisfied that she had all her work done, Annabeth exited her school site. When she turned back to Percy, he was unbuttoning his shirt. "Um, what are you doing?"

"You said you liked this shirt, so I'm trying to protect it. You know, avoid getting pizza sauce on there or something. I mean, usually it's not an issue but sometimes," he shrugged, "stuff happens. It's for the shirt's safety."

"Oh. Okay." Annabeth wasn't sure why she felt caught off-guard. Percy had a t-shirt on under his nice shirt, so it wasn't even like she could see his bare chest (which she'd seen a hundred times anyway; they'd gone to _summer camp _together for years, after all). But still, she let her gaze linger because something about her boyfriend unbuttoning his shirt was…interesting. And somehow the plain white t-shirt he had on underneath looked even hotter on him than the button-down had.

_Focus_, Annabeth scolded herself. "Um, I'm going to…plates." She left the room without waiting for his reply. By the time she walked all the way to the kitchenette at the end of the hall and grabbed paper plates and napkins, Annabeth was more composed. Especially since, she reminded herself, it wasn't like Percy was _trying _to get her attention that way. He'd just been innocently taking off his shirt.

When she returned to her room, Annabeth shut the door most of the way behind her, then set the plates on her desk beside the pizza box before grabbing one of Percy's t-shirts from her dresser (she'd stolen several over the past year). Percy was sitting on her bed again, already inhaling a piece of pizza. Keeping her back to him, but without asking him to close his eyes, Annabeth took off her shirt. A faint squeak of surprise told her she'd gotten the reaction she wanted. With a self-satisfied smirk, she wiggled into his t-shirt, deliberately turning around as she let it fall over her stomach. Percy was staring at her.

"Got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?" she asked, one hand on her hip. She suspected there was also a challenge in her eyes.

Percy's expression shifted from stunned to mischievous. "That's my shirt."

Annabeth didn't move. "Is that a problem?"

He slowly shook his head, not taking his eyes off hers. "Not even a little bit."

"That's good." She turned away to put a slice of pizza on a paper plate for herself, then grabbed an empty plate to hand to her boyfriend. When she sat down on her bed next to him, she said, "Because I like it. I'm keeping it."

"Whatever you say." A smirk danced around the corners of his mouth. "Just try not to get pizza sauce on it."

Annabeth swatted him with the empty paper plate, but Percy just laughed.

They got through half the pizza before a thought that had been in the back of Annabeth's mind all afternoon finally demanded to be voiced. "Okay, I know we said no more nightmare talk, but…"

Percy heaved a sigh. "It's fine. What are you thinking about?"

She took another bite of pizza, thinking about what she wanted to say. "You know that it's good strategy to try to think like your opponent, right? So you can figure out what they're going to do and counter them."

"If you say so." When she made a face at him, Percy said, "Yes, I know that. I even use it sometimes. What's your point?"

"So I was trying to figure out Epiales's strategy."

"I'm pretty sure his strategy is just to terrify us."

"Obviously. But don't you think what he's doing is interesting?" When Percy raised his eyebrows, Annabeth quickly corrected, saying, "I mean, it's awful, but this is such a specific way to hurt somebody. Twist their worst memories into something even more terrible. Why?"

Percy considered this as he finished his fourth slice of pizza. "Maybe play on their insecurities? Make them doubt themselves? Just plain drive them crazy?"

"Or all of the above." Annabeth tapped a pizza crust against her plate. "But the idea of playing on insecurities was my first thought too. I mean, I wonder if that was a specific strategic choice. What if Epiales is choosing these specific memories to take us back to because they're the times when we felt most helpless? Like when our friends were in danger, or when I woke up and you were missing, or—"

"—or when I couldn't pull you out of the pit." Percy met her gaze.

Annabeth held his eyes. "Exactly. He's trying to break us down."

"Trying to make us feel powerless," Percy mused. "We actually talked about that in my psychology class. It's a way to manipulate people. Make them feel weak, so they can be controlled. Abusive people use it a lot. But I still don't get why this jerk is using it on us. What's his endgame?"

"I don't know. That's the part I really can't figure out." She shook her head, frustration welling up inside her. "Ugh, I shouldn't have even brought it up."

"No, it's okay." Percy's nudged her knee with his. "Look, we'll figure it out. We always do, somehow. Besides, no matter what this guy tries to make us think, you and I are _not _powerless."

"Definitely not."

"Right. So." Percy raised his eyebrows hopefully. "Can we please go back to our date now?"

Laughter bubbled up Annabeth's throat. "Absolutely."

"Cool."

After they finished the pizza, courtesy of Percy eating five pieces, Annabeth turned on a movie and they curled up to watch it since it was still relatively early. And it was so nice to just hang out without homework, even if there was a nagging threat hanging over them. But what else was new?

Eventually, Annabeth's focus drifted from the movie to the steady rhythm of Percy's chest rising and falling against her back. The overhead light was off, so the room was suffused in the soft golden glow from her bedside lamp. It reminded Annabeth of the jar of starlight Asteria had given her. She wondered drowsily what she was actually supposed to do with it during a fight. That probably would have been something useful to ask the Titan when they'd met at the Statue of Liberty. Her eyelids grew heavy. The thought crossed her mind that she needed to tell Percy to call his stepdad to come pick him up before…but she didn't even get to the end of that idea before she fell asleep.

Once again, she dreamed of the beach at Camp Half-Blood. Only this time, she wasn't alone. Asteria stood beside her, staring out at the water, a look of intense concentration on her face. "Be prepared, child."

Annabeth's hand reached automatically for her dagger, a reflex born from years of training, but of course, it was no longer there. "Prepared for what?"

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, concealing the stars. Fear rose like a wave in Annabeth's chest, but she pushed it back down. She didn't think this was a nightmare. Not with Asteria beside her.

"He is coming," the Titan said. She faced Annabeth, trepidation traced across her features. Annabeth felt herself pulled into the bottomless pits of the Titan's eyes. "I hope you will have the strength to stand against him. Remember my gift, child. Light will always devour darkness. But only courage can overcome fear."

"What—what does that mean?" Annabeth asked.

"You will see." Asteria began to glow. The dark clouds pushing in slowed, as if hesitating at the light. "Be strong, Annabeth Chase. Don't give in to fear."

Annabeth averted her eyes as the Titan went supernova in a blinding flash of brilliance that lit up the beach, the sea, and the sky, burning away the boiling clouds until only the stars remained.

She woke up abruptly. At first she thought it was the dream that had catapulted her awake, but then she realized it was Percy, who was sitting up and cursing. Annabeth hurriedly sat up, scanning the room. The lamp was still on, her door was still cracked open, and her laptop screen was blank. It was dead. "Monster?"

"No, we fell asleep," Percy said. More cursing. "And I can't find your phone and I don't know what time it is, but I'm pretty sure it's way past when I was supposed to be home and my mom is going to be freaking out. I promised her I wouldn't do that to her again."

Annabeth blinked, trying to wake up and shake off the dream. "Percy, it's—it's okay. My phone is on my desk. Everything's going to be fine. It's probably not even that late."

Percy scrambled up and grabbed her phone off her desk. He cursed again when he checked the time. "It's 1:05 a.m."

"Or it is that late," Annabeth amended. She stood up and shut her laptop, laying it on her desk while Percy hit the button to call Sally's phone.

"Go through, go through, go through," he muttered. "Mom, hey, it's me. I'm really sorry…Yeah…Yeah, I'm fine. I'm at Annabeth's dorm."

While Percy explained to his mother that they'd fallen asleep watching a movie, Annabeth twitched back the curtains to peek out the window. The late night darkness had settled over the street, deepening the shadows. Annabeth didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but she still felt unsettled. She also observed that it was snowing, hard.

"Percy," she murmured, getting his attention and pointing to the storm of snowflakes throwing themselves at the glass.

He frowned when he saw the snow. "Yeah, I just saw that, Mom. No, I don't want Paul to have to come out in it…Are you sure? I mean, I could take the subway…Okay, I'll just stay here for the night and come home to grab my stuff before school." Percy winced, then said, "Yes, Mom, I agree you are way too young to be a grandmother…Yeah…No, I don't expect you to bail us out if we get written up…Yeah…Okay. Love you, too. See you in the morning…Bye." He set Annabeth's phone down, then asked, "Why does no one ever believe we just fell asleep?"

Annabeth laughed. "They've never believed us. Remember how pretty much everybody at camp assumed we'd been making out when we stumbled on the Labyrinth?"

"That," Percy said emphatically, "would have been a much better use of our time."

"True." Annabeth put a hand on his arm. "Is your mom okay?"

His shoulders slumped. "She was just worried. I knew she would be. I _hate _doing that to her. Especially like tonight, when it wasn't even an issue with a quest. And I didn't mean to fall asleep. It was just last night, with the nightmares and everything…I guess I was more tired than I realized."

"Yeah, me too." Annabeth thought about her dream of Asteria and the warning the Titan had delivered. She suppressed a shudder, not wanting to talk about it tonight. "If you have to get up early to go home before school, we'd better go back to sleep."

"Yeah. Any chance you have an extra toothbrush?"

Luckily, she did. Percy borrowed her Yankees cap to run down the hall to the bathroom and brush his teeth. Annabeth was half afraid the magic would stop working again, because she was pretty sure that was _not _how her mother intended for her to use the hat. But Percy came back fully invisible. When Annabeth got back from brushing her own teeth, she shut and locked her door this time, which was what she normally did at night. She'd learned that lesson after her friend Sarah barged in on her getting dressed before breakfast one morning.

Percy was looking out the window again. "Dang, it's really coming down. Maybe we'll have a delay or a snow day."

"That would be nice," Annabeth said. "But don't count on it. Anything else out there we need to worry about?"

"Nothing that I can see." He let the curtain drop. "Maybe we'll be—"

Annabeth crossed the room and put a hand over his mouth before he could finish that sentence. "Don't say it. Because as soon as we think it's going to be okay, it'll all go to Hades."

Percy nodded. When she lowered her hand, he said, "I should know better by now than to trigger that particular law of the universe." He brushed a few strands of hair back from her face, his expression thoughtful.

Annabeth ran her thumb over the small wrinkle of concern between his eyebrows. "What is it, Seaweed Brain?"

"I don't know. Just…this nightmare god stuff, I guess. And it's almost exactly one year since Hera forced me into her little exchange program. I don't know," he said again. "It's just late and we probably need to go back to sleep."

Annabeth studied him. There was something about the way he wasn't quite meeting her eyes that made her suspect he'd had another nightmare and didn't want to talk about it. Not that she could blame him; she didn't want to talk about her strange dream of Asteria either. She was tired of talking about nightmares. She _definitely _didn't want to think about Hera kidnapping Percy. Instead, she said, "You're right. It _is _late. And we're going to have to get up early if you want to go home before school tomorrow. Or at least," she nudged his shoulder playfully, "_you'll _have to get up early."

Percy's expression lightened somewhat as he pretended to look offended. "So I'm going to walk back in the snow and you're going to sleep in?"

"Pretty much."

"That is…" he paused dramatically, "…_cold_, Wise Girl."

"Wow, that was terrible."

"Thank you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's almost two in the morning and we have exams to take."

She crawled under her covers. Percy hesitated, then switched off her lamp and slid into bed next to her. Annabeth scooted toward the wall to give him as much space as possible. Her pulse was humming in a way that was not helpful for trying to go to sleep. But Percy had never stayed at her dorm before (mostly because it was wildly against the rules). And even though she'd stayed in his room just last week, this felt different. Maybe because she wasn't scared and freezing this time. They'd even been curled up asleep together less than an hour ago and that had been no big deal. But that had also been an accident. This felt much more deliberate. And that felt…scary, somehow. Or maybe that wasn't the right word. Maybe it was just strange. Or new.

_Get a grip_, Annabeth ordered herself before her thoughts could spiral any farther out of control. Impulsively, she grabbed Percy's hand. Without hesitation, he laced his fingers through hers. Suddenly, Annabeth felt calmer.

"You okay?" Percy asked quietly.

"Fine," she said. "You?"

"Fine." He squeezed her hand. "But I can sleep on the floor if you'd be more comfortable."

"No!" Annabeth tightened her grip on his hand. "I mean, you don't have to do that. I like you right where you are," she added, recalling their conversation last week.

Somehow, she knew he was smiling. "Cool. Because I'm happy right where I am. With you."

For some reason, that dispelled the last of Annabeth's nerves. She let go of his hand so she could curl up against his side, pillowing her head on his chest. Percy's arm settled comfortably around her shoulders. After a few moments, she told him, "You're a really nice boyfriend."

"Thanks. I try." His thumb lightly rubbed her arm just below her t-shirt sleeve. "You mean everything to me, Annabeth."

Her breath caught. She pressed her palm against his chest. "Ditto, Seaweed Brain."

Quiet settled over the room. The only sounds were their breathing and the wind rattling the window. It struck Annabeth that next year, once they were in college, they could do this all the time. No one would really care if they stayed at each other's dorms. The idea sent a small thrill through her. But it was nearly squashed by a snide voice in the back of her mind saying, _You started believing you had a future last year, too. How did that work out?_

_ Shut up_, Annabeth thought. To distract herself, she told Percy her realization about college dorms.

"That's a happy thought." He took her hand, then raised it to his lips. When he placed a gentle kiss against her skin, another thrill shot through Annabeth. But there was also something pensive about his mood. It had been there since they'd woken up. Her mind drifted back to his comments about Hera forcing him into her exchange program.

"What did you dream about, Percy?" she asked. It came out sharper than she'd intended.

He winced, but didn't let go of her hand. "More twisted memories. Waking up in the Wolf House. Traveling across California. Except this time…I didn't remember you. Which made everything a hundred times suckier." When Annabeth didn't say anything, he added, "And I know that's not the reality. But it doesn't make the nightmare any easier to deal with."

"I know." Annabeth thought again about all the horrible things she'd been forced to experience in her nightmares recently. Fear churned her stomach, but she ignored it. Instead, she pushed herself up so she could look at Percy. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that she could just make out his face. "But hey, no matter what happens with this stupid nightmare god, or any other immortals, or exams, or even college, you and I are going to be good. Because we'll get through it together. The way we always have. Okay?"

Percy just nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. Something about the way he was looking at her, like he was simply drinking in the fact that she was here, reminded her of the hillside in Greece, after they escaped Tartarus. Or in the throne room on Olympus, after Kronos had been expelled. And that reminded her of something else.

Smirking, she leaned closer. "Just in case, though, can I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?"

She was close enough to see Percy's eyes widen, even in the dark. Then he grinned and said, "I freaking love you," before kissing her, fiercely. Annabeth's worries melted out of her mind as she melted into Percy.

When her lungs tightened up, Annabeth pulled away to catch her breath. With her fingers still against Percy's neck, she could feel his pulse racing. He was out of breath, too, but managed to say, "If that was lucky, we are _so_ going to ace our exams."

"Here's hoping." Annabeth kissed him again, slow and lazy this time, just because he was here and she could. One of Percy's hands was tangled in her hair. The other pressed against her shoulder blade. He tasted like spearmint toothpaste. Her mind flashed to the last kiss they'd shared at Camp Half-Blood before Percy disappeared, which had tasted like marshmallows and chocolate from the s'mores at the campfire. Dragging her lips away from his, she murmured, "Please never leave me again."

"Never again. Promise." Percy kissed her with an intensity that drove nearly every rational thought from Annabeth's brain. One tiny sliver of clear-headedness remained to consider that maybe Sally had a point about how easy it would be to give in and go a few steps too far too fast. Another even smaller piece nagged that they still had exams to take in the morning.

With a concerted effort, Annabeth pulled herself away from her boyfriend. "Percy, we…we really need to go to sleep."

"How am I supposed to sleep after that?" he protested and Annabeth laughed.

"I don't know," she admitted, and now Percy chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.

Annabeth moved so she was laying on her stomach next to him, rather than laying on him, which seemed like a productive start. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. With the curtains drawn and the lamp off, the only light came from the hallway, just a faint strip under her door. But unlike the darkness of the street outside, the darkness in her room felt soft, not threatening.

Percy's voice floated out of the darkness. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Annabeth resisted the impulse to kiss him again.

"Um, by the way, did you set an alarm?"

"Yeah, I have my daily recurring alarm set on my phone."

"Early enough for me to get home and grab my stuff before school?"

A beat. "Nope. Do you mind grabbing my phone so I can fix it?"

"No problem." Percy threw back the covers, letting in a gust of chilly air. He grabbed her phone off her desk, then handed it to her as he climbed back in bed. Annabeth rolled onto her back to fix the alarm, setting it for half an hour earlier than normal to give them time to swing by Percy's apartment. Then she passed it to him and he set it on her nightstand.

"I'm still not tired," Percy complained.

"You could tell me more stories," Annabeth suggested. "That worked last time."

"Or you could tell me stories," Percy said. "I think it's your turn."

"You already know all my good stories."

"That's a load of Minotaur dung. You were at camp for five years before I got there. You _have _to have some other stories."

He had a point. That was annoying. "Fine. Let me think." She forced herself back to her first years at Camp Half-Blood, which felt like a lifetime ago. "Alright, I've got one. Have you heard about the time the Party Ponies showed up and threw a dance at camp?"

"Is that why you have the bead with the centaur in a prom dress?"

"Yep. So you've heard about it?"

"Actually, no. How did that happen?"

"Oh gods, it's completely ridiculous."

She told him the story. Then she told him a few more stories, like about her very first game of Capture the Flag, and what happened the first time she and Clarisse sparred after the daughter of Ares arrived at camp, and why she also had a bead with a trireme on fire. And somewhere along the line, Percy's breathing grew deep and even. Shortly after that, Annabeth floated into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

And when her alarm went off the next morning, she did not actually make Percy walk home alone in the snow. They left together. Despite how vicious the storm looked last night, there was only a thin layer of snow on the ground, just enough to turn everything sparkling white while also making the sidewalks and roadways deceptively treacherous. Nothing attacked them, thankfully. But the feeling of being watched hovered over Annabeth and apprehension settled like a brick in her stomach.

_This_, she decided, _is going to be a long week._

* * *

***** Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! Hope you enjoyed the chapter (it's a little bit of a monster, length-wise). The final chapter will be out next week. Happy Halloween!*****


	5. Chapter 5

*****Warning for possible triggers for anxiety and panic attacks.*****

* * *

Maybe they did have some luck because the first part of the week went by mostly smoothly. Annabeth felt confident about her exams, Percy said he'd done okay on his, and nothing attacked either of them. Well, except for the nightmares. Percy apparently hadn't experienced any since the weekend, but Annabeth was hit with them on both Monday and Tuesday.

Both nights, the dreams were the same. She revisited the scene from her very first nightmare, where she'd woken up at Camp Half-Blood to find Percy missing, but knowing this time that he was gone for good. Then the dream shifted to Camp Jupiter, the day the _Argo II_ arrived. Only in the nightmare version, Percy didn't remember her. When she stepped forward to greet him, he simply stared at her blankly and asked, "Do I know you?" There was no hint of recognition in his expression. So that all sucked.

Then the nightmare moved to a new scene that was awful because it started in a true moment that had been genuinely horrible. Annabeth was sitting at the table in the mess hall on the _Argo II_, watching in terror as the eidolon took control of Percy and his eyes turned gold. Just like Luke's when he'd been possessed by Kronos. Horror threatened to suffocate Annabeth. She could barely focus on what Piper, Hazel, and the boys were saying. All she could think was, _No. Not Percy, too._

That had been bad enough. But in this warped nightmare version, Piper failed to bring the eidolons under control. Jason drew his sword. Leo caught fire. Percy uncapped Riptide. The scene was almost too traumatizing for Annabeth to process, but at the end, blood dripped from the table, and she stood with her back pressed against the wall, unable to escape as a golden-eyed Percy Jackson pointed his sword at her.

_Never_, she thought numbly, in an attempt to dispel the vision. _He would never hurt me._

And the nightmare shifted to its final scene. She was back in Arachne's cavern. Shouts bounced around the chamber as their friends rushed to secure the Athena Parthenos. Like in reality, Annabeth felt a sharp, painful tug on her broken ankle, her feet swept out from under her, and she fell over the edge of the chasm. Percy caught her. But then the nightmare did its dreadful distortion of reality. And in this version, when she said, "Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up," he blinked back tears and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

She couldn't be sure which of them let go. All she knew was that, this time, she was falling through the darkness alone.

Both nights, Annabeth woke up gasping and in tears. Unable to go back to sleep, she'd resorted to studying until the sun rose, which at least kept her mind occupied on other things. But by Wednesday, she was completely drained. Getting through the school day felt like tramping across the dark, miserable plains of Tartarus again.

She hadn't told Percy about the new nightmares. She couldn't. He would just feel guilty for something he hadn't actually done. Besides, if she talked about them, she'd have to relive them. And that just felt like too much right now.

On Wednesday evening, she had dinner with Percy's family, which was a relaxing moment in an otherwise stressful week. Sally, who must not have been too upset about Percy and Annabeth's accidental sleepover since she'd invited Annabeth to dinner, said the meal was, "To recharge everyone's batteries for the end of the week." Annabeth was just grateful to be in the cozy apartment. Somehow, being around Sally Jackson always made her feel more at ease. The food was delicious, too, way better than anything served in her dormitory's dining hall.

The weather was still miserably cold, so Percy again drove her back to her dorm. Fresh anxiety had settled over Annabeth's shoulders, but she wasn't sure why. Until Percy said, completely off-hand, "At least it's already the thirteenth. Only two more days of school, then we're free for a couple weeks."

The thirteenth. Today was December thirteenth.

Which meant that tomorrow was December fourteenth.

The day Percy had disappeared.

Realization struck Annabeth like a hammer. The fear she'd been stamping down for weeks finally broke free. Panic gripped her so tightly she couldn't breathe. She doubled over, arms wrapped tightly around herself, fighting to get air into her suddenly empty lungs.

"Annabeth?" Percy sounded alarmed. She wanted to answer, but it was taking all her effort just to inhale. Her heart was racing like she'd had too much caffeine. She gasped, unable to fully catch her breath. December fourteenth. Why hadn't she realized that before?

Percy pulled over. She felt the gears thump as the car shifted into park. There was a faint click as Percy unbuckled his seatbelt. Annabeth was still doubled over, clutching her sides, trying to breathe, but it was a struggle. It felt like her lungs didn't want to expand.

"Annabeth, hey." Percy's voice was gentle. So was his hand as he rested it lightly on her shoulder. "It's okay. You're safe. Can you hear me?"

She nodded, still gasping for air. It occurred to her that she might be hyperventilating. Her heart was thumping so hard her pulse vibrated all the way down to her fingertips.

"Okay, baby, listen to me. I know this is hard, but try to take a deep breath in for four seconds."

"I c-can't," she gasped.

"You can." Percy's hand traced a wide, slow circle across her back. "Close your eyes. Then deep breath in for four seconds. Hold it."

Annabeth tried. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the soothing way Percy was rubbing her back. She inhaled as best she could, counting to four in her head, then held it.

"Good. Now breathe out for four seconds." She did. "Awesome. Now do it again. Deep breath in for four seconds, hold it, breathe out for four seconds."

She followed his instructions, focusing on his calm voice. After a few more repetitions, her breathing started to become steady again. Her pounding heart was also creeping down to a more regular tempo. Finally, when she felt mostly under control, Annabeth opened her eyes and managed to sit up.

"Better?" Percy's green eyes were dark with concern.

"Better," Annabeth said. She took another deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Reaching out, she grasped Percy's free hand, taking comfort from the familiar reassuring pressure. "How—how did you know what to do?"

"That psychology elective I'm taking." He kept making slow circles on her back. "We were talking about anxiety and panic attacks a couple weeks ago, and what to do if someone has one. It was actually on the exam yesterday."

"Panic attack?" Annabeth forced herself to take another slow, deep breath as her pulse threatened to spike again.

"Yeah. I mean, it seemed like the symptoms. And I know how stressed you've been with the damn nightmares and school and everything else." His hand was shaking slightly when he brushed her hair back from her face. "If the breathing thing hadn't worked, though, I was going to take you to the hospital."

"No, you were right." Annabeth closed her eyes again. Percy continued to run his fingers through her hair. She tightened her grip on the hand she was holding, pressing her palm more firmly against his. He was here. They were together. "But it wasn't—it wasn't the nightmares or school. Or at least, it wasn't just because of that. Percy, do you realize what today is?"

His hand paused. "Crap, did I forget one of our anniversaries again?"

A broken laugh escaped Annabeth's lips, making her feel marginally better. "No. I mean, not really. This isn't an anniversary I want to celebrate." She opened her eyes to meet his worried gaze. "Percy, this time last year, December thirteenth, was the day we got to camp. Tomorrow is December fourteenth." Tears pricked her eyes. "That's the day I woke up and you were gone. Tonight was the last time I saw you."

Just like that, everything spilled over. She was overwhelmed with school. She'd barely slept the last few nights. The memories of what she'd gone through this time last year, which she'd been forced to relive repeatedly in her nightmares, were the final straw. The rollercoaster of fear and exhaustion she'd been riding for the last couple weeks simply crashed. Annabeth burst into tears.

How long she sobbed, she had no idea. Percy didn't say anything. He just held her and let her cry. Eventually, the sobs faded. Annabeth had no energy left to even raise her head. She sagged against Percy's chest, breathing in his ocean scent, her hands loosely clutching his sweatshirt. The hum of the engine filled the car, along with her ragged breathing. Gods, how long had they been sitting here? Annabeth wondered vaguely if she should offer to give Paul gas money.

When Percy spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Annabeth, I'm so sorry. I never thought about the date. I don't think I even realized what day I went missing. I mean, I guess I could have worked it out, but it just never crossed my mind. When I woke up at the Wolf House in…April, I guess, or around then, I was too disoriented to figure out exactly how long I'd been out."

"It's not your fault." Her own voice sounded thick, like she had a head cold. "None of it was your fault. I don't even think it would be hitting me this hard, but the stupid nightmares keep taking me back to that morning. And it's awful, Percy." Her voice broke and a few more tears spilled down her cheeks. She was pretty sure her eyes were a red, puffy disaster at this point.

"I know," he murmured into her hair. "And I _hate _what happened. But Annabeth, you know I will never willingly leave you. I promise. I want to build something permanent _with _you."

A sob choked Annabeth again. So she simply nodded against his chest. But after a few moments, she burst out angrily, "I'm just so sick of feeling tired and afraid! I'm sick of dealing with these nightmares. Why won't this jerk god just show himself so I can kick his ass?"

"There's my girl." Percy squeezed her tighter, then sighed. "I don't know what game this guy thinks he's playing. But yeah, I'd be happy to give him a one-way ticket to Tartarus."

"Damn straight," Annabeth muttered. As tired as she was, even the anger didn't last long. She took another deep breath. They needed to get back on the road. But right now, safe in Percy's embrace in the warm car, she couldn't summon the strength to move. _Just a few more seconds_, she thought. She could let herself be held for that long.

"What do you want to do?" Percy asked her. "Go back to your dorm? Stay at my apartment? Or should we just say screw the end of the semester and head for camp? Or New Rome?"

Annabeth laughed weakly. "I like those last two."

"I'm not entirely kidding."

"I know you're not." She finally sat up, wiping her eyes. "And I love you so much for that. But I probably need to go back to my dorm. That's where all my stuff is for school tomorrow."

"You could pack it up and come over to my parents'," Percy suggested.

"Tempting." And she meant that. Annabeth knew she had to be a complete mess, but she wouldn't have guessed it from the way Percy was looking at her. And the few times she'd slept next to him, she'd slept pretty well. "I appreciate the offer. Really. But I can't let this guy run me out of my own room just because I'm afraid. Not happening."

Percy exhaled through his nose. "Has anyone ever told you you're incredibly stubborn?"

"My boyfriend. Frequently." Impulsively, Annabeth threw her arms around his neck, hugging him hard. She didn't say anything else, but when Percy returned the hug, she suspected he got the message. She kissed his cheek, then let him go, dropping back into her seat and reaching for her seatbelt. "Okay, I'm honestly better now. We should go before anyone starts asking questions about why we've been parked here forever."

Percy gave her a long look, then nodded. He slid back into his own seat, buckled his seatbelt, and shifted into drive. As he checked the mirrors, he said, "I'm actually surprised no one did come over to ask us questions. Especially since I'm kind of double-parked."

"Percy!"

"Annabeth," he responded in the same tone. "You were having trouble breathing, and I didn't know what was wrong. Basic traffic laws weren't my major concern. And we didn't get a ticket, so it's all good."

"I guess so." She wanted to take his hand, but he had both on the wheel as he merged into traffic, so it didn't seem like a good idea. Instead, she said simply, "Thanks again."

He shot her a quick smile. "We take care of each other. That's what we do."

His words hit her right in the heart. It wasn't exactly a new thing for either of them to say. In fact, it came up quite a bit. _We look out for each other. I have your back. We help each other out. You'd do the same for me_. But those all seemed to apply to external struggles, like being in combat or going up against a bully, or even with something like homework help. "We take care of each other" called up images of little moments. Like bringing someone chicken soup and cough syrup when they were sick, or doing something special when you knew the person you loved had a hard day. Or comforting that person while they had a breakdown. Somehow, the words felt more tender. In a good way.

As usual, when they reached her dorm, Percy walked her to the door. They ducked into the tiny sheltered space of the doorway to avoid the wind as much as possible, which meant standing really close. Not that Annabeth was complaining. At all.

"Why don't you come over for breakfast?" Percy ventured. "My mom was going to make end-of-semester pancakes on Friday, but I bet she'd make them tomorrow instead if I asked."

"She'll probably still make them Friday, too," Annabeth said.

"Probably."

"I think you," she poked him in the chest, "just want pancakes two days in a row."

"That's just a bonus." He leaned his arm on the wall beside her head, shielding her from the street. "Look, I was thinking about what you said, about tomorrow being one year from the day I went missing. It just seems like it'd be nice to do something in the morning. Not to celebrate it, but just to be like 'hey, we're still together, everything turned out okay.'"

Annabeth rested her hand on Percy's chest. "I think that sounds like a really good idea, Seaweed Brain. I should probably come over about 6:30, right? If we want to be able to eat and get to first period on time."

Percy looked briefly like he was reconsidering his plan, then he smiled and said, "Sounds good. Unless you want me to pick you up?"

"That's sweet, but it doesn't make sense for you to come all the way out here again. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure." She held his eyes for an extra moment, hoping he'd get the message. He did, because he leaned in and kissed her. Annabeth hooked her fingers in his belt loops, tugging him closer, trying very hard not to think about this night last year, which had been the last time she'd kissed him for six months. _But he remembered me_, she thought as his thumb ran along her cheekbone and his fingers brushed her ear before his palm settled against her neck. _He always remembered me_.

"I _will _see you in the morning," he said against her lips.

"You'd better," Annabeth breathed. "Or I _will _kick your butt."

"Don't worry. I know." Percy kissed her again, sending warmth blazing through Annabeth, all the way down to her toes.

"I love you," she said when they eventually broke apart.

"I love you, too." He gave her one last, sweet kiss. "And I'll see you bright and early at 6:30."

"Definitely."

He studied her for a moment, then kissed her forehead. "Sleep well."

"I'll try." She ran her hands up his sides, then let them drop. "Drive safe. Text me on your mom's phone when you get home, if you can."

"Sure." Percy started to turn away, then swooped back for a final quick peck on the lips, which made Annabeth laugh.

"Go," she said, shoving him lightly. "You're double-parked again."

"It's New York," he said as he hopped down the steps. "People do it all the time."

Annabeth stood by the door, watching him walk to the Prius. He waved to her before he got in and called, "See you in the morning!"  
"Love you!" she called back. Because just in case he disappeared again, she'd rather have those be her final words to him, not "you're double-parked again."

As Percy disappeared down the street, Annabeth didn't waste any time unlocking her door and ducking into her building. She triple-checked that the door was locked behind her. She hadn't wanted to admit it while saying good night to Percy, but the feeling of being watched had returned.

* * *

The feeling was still there the next morning when she walked out her door at 5:45. She was really leaving a little too early, but she'd had another nightmare, couldn't go back to sleep, and decided to just get ready and go. Her hand stayed on her sword hilt all the way down the street and into the subway station. There were enough early morning commuters for her to feel somewhat safe, but it also made it difficult to judge if anyone was weirdly observing her. Before six in the morning, pretty much everyone looked like an angry zombie.

Unlike before, the feeling didn't vanish when she stepped on the train. There were only a few people in the car, and none of them were paying the slightest bit of attention to Annabeth. To be fair, she figured a god could easily be invisible or in the form of a fly or something. Which was maybe the case, since the prickling sensation on the back of her neck never let up. Annabeth drew a small bit of comfort from the balmy heat of Asteria's jar in her backpack, but her nerves were still jangling.

As the dark tunnels zipped past, her mind wandered to her most recent nightmare. It had been the same as the past two nights, starting with Percy being gone, then Percy not remembering her, the eidolon possession on the _Argo II_, and finished in Arachne's cavern. But this time, when she felt the spider silk tighten around her ankle, Annabeth planted her feet, throwing all her weight against the line. Looking up into the chaos, she screamed, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Nothing happened. Her feet swept out from under her, she was pulled into the pit, Percy grabbed her wrist, they dangled from the ledge. A face appeared above them. But this time, it wasn't Nico leaning over the edge.

"You," Annabeth snarled.

The pale face of Epiales sneered down at her. His eyes blazed. "Hello, Annabeth Chase. Don't worry. I will see you soon."

Smoke poured into the pit, engulfing Percy, then her. Once again, Annabeth fell into the darkness, then woke with a jerk in her own bed, drenched in cold sweat. Even after a steaming hot shower, she'd still been shivering.

So she was out of patience. Epiales had threatened to see her soon. At this point, despite her buzzing nerves, Annabeth was ready for the fight.

The sensation of being watched followed her off the train. Annabeth fought down the impulse to run, forcing herself to keep pace with the crowd. On the escalator she ended up stuck behind an older woman who was standing stubbornly still, refusing to walk up the narrow steps. However, this gave Annabeth a chance to survey her surroundings. On the pretense of stretching and yawning, she glanced around, appraising the excited tourists, tired New Yorkers, and…there. Halfway down the escalator a man was staring directly at her, not even attempting to hide the fact that she was the focus of his attention.

Annabeth's stomach dropped. Even if she hadn't recognized his face from her nightmares, she would have known immediately that he was an immortal. His skin was too pale, his suit was too dark, and something about the sharp features of his face was not human. Annabeth kept her expression neutral as her eyes traveled over him and the people near him before she turned back around. Once she was facing forward again, she gulped.

It was him. Epiales, god of nightmares.

The big digital clock in the station read 6:03. Way too early for Percy to be awake. Since she wasn't supposed to be at his apartment until 6:30, she knew with complete certainty he wouldn't roll out of bed until about 6:28. Which meant no immediate backup. So what was her next move?

She recalled Frank Zhang's advice: _Keep it simple_. When she reached the top of the escalator, Annabeth simply swung around and took the other escalator heading back down. Epiales grimaced as they passed each other, but Annabeth didn't wait for anyone this time. She ran down the steps, dodging around other commuters, and reaching the platform just as a train pulled into the station. Not paying attention to where it was going, she jumped on as soon as the doors opened.

"Come on, come on," she muttered, tapping her fingers against her sword hilt as she waited for the doors to close.

Epiales skidded onto the platform, his perfectly coifed hair slightly mussed from running. He took one look around and dove for the train.

The doors slid shut.

But not quickly enough.

On the plus side, Epiales wasn't in the same car as her. On the negative side, they were still traveling in the same direction. Annabeth cursed under her breath.

As soon as the doors opened at the next station, Annabeth sprinted off the train and up the escalator. She needed to confront Epiales, but the thought of doing so on a subway platform crowded with mortals didn't make her happy. She needed a better location. As she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced over her shoulder and cursed again as she saw Epiales jogging up the escalator, shoving a tourist out of his way. Annabeth took off running for the street.

She paused outside the station. Where was she? A surge of relief coursed through her as she realized she'd taken the train to Central Park. That could work. If this was going to be a fight, she wanted a location with options and as few mortals around as possible. Annabeth crossed the street, then turned back to watch as the god of nightmares came charging out of the subway station. His head swiveled, scanning the street. He spotted her. Annabeth made sure to meet his eyes. Then she turned away, walking obviously into the park. She didn't need to look back to know that he was following her; she could feel his gaze burning into her skull.

Annabeth stopped in the middle of an open lawn. There were some trees and boulders around for cover if she needed it and plenty of space to maneuver. Adrenaline was beginning to pump through her veins. She took a moment to try calling Percy, but her phone was dead. She frowned. It had been fully charged when she left her dorm. Cursing, she dropped it back in her pocket. Stupid mythological manipulations. Just then, the god of nightmares emerged from the trees.

As she'd noticed before, he was dressed in a pitch black suit. Even the buttons on his shirt were black, which made the bright red bow tie he was wearing stand out more jarringly. His face and hands were bone white. And his eyes…Annabeth's skin crawled. His eyes were painfully electric blue, brighter even than Thalia and Jason's, but there was also something fractured and wild about them. Something about this man was not quite sane. Annabeth's hand clenched around her sword hilt, but she didn't draw it yet.

The man stopped a few feet away from her. For a moment, they eyed each other. The longer the man stared at her, the more unsettled Annabeth felt. Finally, she decided to take control of the situation by saying, "Epiales."

"Annabeth Chase." His voice was silky, but with a gravely undertone, like he occasionally gargled with Phlegethon water. "You asked me to show myself, did you not?"

"I did." Annabeth kept her voice level. "So I could tell you to your face to stay out of my dreams."

Epiales's chuckle ended in a hiss. "But I don't dwell in your dreams, child. It's your nightmares that interest me." He raised a hand and dark smoke condensed over his palm. Visions Annabeth had seen in her nightmares over the past two weeks flickered through the cloud. Epiales licked his pale lips as he watched. "Such delicious fear."

"Why are you here?" Annabeth asked, not looking at the globe of smoke, though the visions tried to draw her gaze, their pull hypnotic.

"We met before, though you may not remember me specifically." Epiales narrowed his eyes and the vision in the sphere solidified. It showed two demigods, wreathed in Death Mist, standing at the edge of the void of Chaos and facing an army of horrors.

Annabeth's throat tightened. "You were there. You were one of the children Nyx called."

"I was." The vision played out and Annabeth watched herself and Percy run through the tourist routine, a desperate attempt to distract the goddess and survive. And then, all was darkness. She knew what happened next—taking advantage of the cover, they'd jumped. "I watched you manipulate and humiliate my mother, a primordial goddess more powerful than your mortal mind can comprehend. And yet, you tricked her. I swore that such an insult could not be forgotten."

The ball of smoke in Epiales's hand expanded. More smoke gathered around him, growing and pulsing into billowing clouds that threatened to fill the clearing. Annabeth's legs trembled. "That was months ago. Why show up now?"

"Because you called me." Epiales spread his arms like he was inviting praise.

Annabeth took a step back. "I never called you. I didn't even know you existed until a few days ago."

"You may not have known who I was, child, but still you summoned me. The day in the library, when you tried to suppress the memories of losing your little friend, you invited the nightmares in." Epiales's grin made him look like a leering skeleton. "And you have so many nightmares, Annabeth Chase. It has been such fun to play with them."

Annabeth focused on the warmth of the jar against her back and the firm handle of her sword against her palm to keep her voice steady. "If you were having so much _fun, _why bother to face me? Why not just let the nightmares continue?"

"Those were merely a warm up, child." Epiales's voice grew softer, slithering with malice. He stepped forward, but Annabeth stood her ground. More smoke rolled off him as he spoke, swelling as it curled around the clearing, displaying her nightmares. "A taste of the tortures I have planned."

Too late, Annabeth realized that standing her ground in this situation was a mistake. The instant the smoke appeared, she should have taken off running. She'd watched it devour demigods in her dreams. Now, she tried to step away, to keep it from engulfing her, but with no luck. The smoke whirled furiously. It crept closer, blotting out the park, the trees, even Epiales. Annabeth staggered backward, but the smoke was everywhere. It enveloped her like a shroud.

The world tilted around her. Annabeth's equilibrium was completely thrown off. When everything stopped spinning, she found herself in a horribly familiar tunnel. It was dark and narrow and choked with cobwebs. A faint rustling echoed over the stones, raising goosebumps on her arms. She'd been here before, beneath Rome, on her way to face Arachne. Her breathing grew shallow.

_It's not real_, she thought desperately. _I already escaped this place_.

But it felt real. As the rustling drew nearer, Annabeth did what she had before and plunged recklessly ahead, fighting the urge to scream as she ripped through cobwebs that felt very real under her trembling fingers. The rustling noise grew louder. Annabeth chanced a look over her shoulder and fought down a sob. A wave of small, plump spiders surged down the tunnel. And there were no torches this time when she reached the end. In fact, this time, the tunnel deposited her right into the Temple of Fear in Sparta. Annabeth's heart slammed against her ribs as the spiders poured through the three holes in the ceiling, the ones she and Piper had jumped through. But there was no friend here now. Only the pulse of mind-shredding terror and two dark doorways.

No choice. As the spiders crawled towards her, Annabeth sprinted into the darkness.

Only it wasn't darkness, at least not for long. Instead, she stumbled into Arachne's cavern. The Athena Parthenos was gone. Arachne was trapped in her spidercuffs, thrashing and wailing. The floor was shattered, revealing the gaping maw of the abyss. But the ceiling was still intact; no _Argo II _had blasted through to rescue her. And Annabeth knew instinctively that no ship and no friends would be here for her this time.

Part of her knew none of this was real, that it was just the smoke and she was probably running in circles around Central Park. But she couldn't break the illusion.

Her back to the abyss, Annabeth faced the heaving tide of spiders. Panic threatened to choke her. Then, the spiders parted. But her relief was momentary. A golden-eyed Percy strode through the doorway, his face hard and cold, like a mask. Annabeth felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

But before she could even begin to deal with that, Arachne burst free of her trap and charged forward, snarling. Feeling absolutely shattered, Annabeth took the only escape route available to her. She leapt into the pit.

She landed with a crash, jarring her elbow. She was lying on the frozen ground while the smoke swirled around her. Visions flickered on the surface like they were playing on a movie screen. And these weren't warped or twisted. They were her real memories. Icy cold rushed over her as she saw her friends injured or dying. As she watched Percy suffer. As she saw herself battered in the throne room on Olympus. Cursed by the _arai _into feeling abandoned. Alone in the tunnels beneath Rome. Alone in the Labyrinth after losing all three of her friends. Alone as a terrified seven-year-old in a Cyclops's mansion. _Always alone_, the smoke whispered. _No dreams for you. Only nightmares_.

"Always alone." Epiales echoed the words softly. He loomed above her, his edges blurred by the smoke. "Abandoned. Over and over and over again. Poor child," he said with mock sympathy. He flicked his wrist and the visions changed. Annabeth watched as her father left for work, not even glancing in her direction. Her stepmother's face hardened as she shook her head, refusing to listen to Annabeth's story about the spiders in her room. Thalia died. Luke trapped her beneath the sky and walked away. Percy's bed was empty. Athena said, "You are no child of mine," and turned her back on Annabeth.

The worst part of these visions was that they weren't even distorted in any way. These were the truth. That was more painful than any lie.

"Everyone you love leaves you eventually," Epiales intoned, his hungry gaze fixed on Annabeth's face as she knelt on the grass, watching the visions play out. "No one will stay. You will always end up alone."

"Stop," Annabeth croaked, as she had in the very first nightmare. But somehow, as weak as it was, the sound of her own voice brought her back to the present. She blinked, and the nightmares temporarily lost their grip. The smoke was curling across the grass, tendrils reaching out for her. Annabeth struggled to her feet. Her bag bumped against her back and she felt the heat of the starlight concealed there. Her head cleared.

Epiales was still speaking. The smoke shifted, revealing new images, awful scenes that mirrored his words. "None of that matters now, though. There are far worse horrors in your future, Annabeth Chase. You are a threat. I realized this as I delved into the darkness of your past. You have always been a threat. Perhaps even more so than Perseus Jackson or Jason Grace. And you remain a threat. So you must be eliminated." The smoke darkened, dimming the light in the clearing, which only made Epiales's unhinged eyes blaze more prominently. "I have come to drag you back to my mother's palace, to chain you in the Mansion of Night, where the nightmares will never end."

_That _snapped Annabeth out of her paralysis. There was no way she was going back to that place. She was _never _going back there. Through sheer force of will, she tore her gaze away from the visions and looked right into Epiales's hateful eyes.

"That is so not going to happen." Annabeth drew her sword and, in the same fluid motion, thrust it at Epiales. He dodged, but not before she sliced a shallow cut in his side. The god of nightmares hissed, in pain this time, pointed teeth bared in an ugly expression.

"You worthless brat! How dare you—"

"How dare you?" Annabeth retorted. Her confidence was slowly coming back. She held her sword at the ready with one hand and shrugged off her backpack with the other, dropping it at her feet. "You're right, I did trick Nyx. Because she was arrogant enough to fall for it. And you think you can punish me for that? Not a chance."

"I will break you," Epiales said, though his hand was still clutching his side. The smoke swirled around him more violently, like a storm brewing. "I know you, Annabeth Chase. I have seen your nightmares, your greatest fears. Now, I will show you horrors beyond your wildest imaginings, and your mind will snap, daughter of Athena. Then, when you are gibbering on your knees, I will throw you into the great void of Chaos, a sacrifice to Mother Night, as you were meant to be. And then," his voice dropped and his eyes narrowed, colder and crueler than before, "I will return for the son of Poseidon. He is a gnat who has annoyed us for too long."

Fear sparked in Annabeth's chest, but it was quickly snuffed out by pure fury. She stomped forward and swung her sword again, forcing Epiales to duck. The smoke wafted with him. "If you know so much, if you think you know who I am, if you've seen my nightmares, then you know what I've done."

Annabeth jabbed and slashed at Epiales, pursuing him in a circle around the clearing, with her backpack as the center point. She avoided touching the smoke again, but she had no trouble thrusting her sword through it. The god of nightmares dipped and dodged, staying in the darkness, but occasionally she managed to slice into his arms or back and he would squeak in a not-very-godly way.

Meanwhile, Annabeth's voice grew stronger the more she spoke. "I've battled giants. I saw Tartarus and Gaea rise, and I still survived, thanks to my friends. I defied Hera, queen of the Olympians. I've defeated more monsters and demons than I even knew existed. Including Arachne, the mortal enemy of every child of Athena. I held the _sky_." Epiales yelped as a particularly vicious swing left a deep cut across his shoulder.

Annabeth stopped, breathing hard, a few feet away from the god. The smoke had thinned around him. Her backpack lay on the ground at her feet, radiating warmth. Was she letting her hubris talk? Maybe just a little, but everything she'd said was also the truth. And that made her words ring with genuine confidence. "I fought _Kronos_. The Titan king, lord of time. And you think _you _are going to defeat me? Chain me and torture me and sacrifice me? Not a chance in Hades."

The smoke swirled uncertainly. Visions flickered in its depths. Epiales's pale face was strained, mouth puckered in pain from the various cuts criss-crossing his body. "It doesn't matter what you've done or what you do to me today, girl. I've shown you the truth. The fear deep inside you. The nightmares you carry. Everything is temporary. Everyone will leave you. Even the boy who promised you permanence abandoned you, didn't he? On this very morning last year, _he left_." Epiales's final words reverberated through the ground, making the clouds of smoke vibrate as a vision flashed across them; once again, Annabeth saw herself bursting into an empty Cabin Three.

But this time, she didn't let despair take her. She remembered the other vision in her most recent nightmares, of Percy letting her go, letting her fall into Tartarus alone. The vision that was a lie. Her voice came out amazingly calm as she said, "You're wrong."

"Excuse me?" Epiales snapped.

"You're wrong," Annabeth repeated. "About all of it. Yes, I've lost people. Sometimes they've walked away. But they've come back. My parents aren't perfect, but they do love me. I know that. Thalia didn't abandon me; she died _protecting _me, and Grover, and Luke. And she's always been there when I've really needed her."

"You're forgetting Luke Castellan," Epiales taunted, a nasty smirk on his skeletal face.

"Maybe Luke did abandon me," Annabeth admitted. "But even he came back in the end. He ultimately made the right choice. And Percy—"

"Left," Epiales jeered. "On this day last year."

"He was kidnapped! That's completely different," Annabeth said. "And so what? Because when it really mattered, when I was being _dragged into Tartarus_, he was there. I told him to let me go. But he didn't. Percy never abandoned me. He chose to stay. That vision you keep showing me is a lie. _He didn't let go._"

The smoking clouds around Epiales were now so thin they were translucent. It was impossible to make out the images sputtering across their surface. Golden ichor dripped down Epiales's dark suit. His red bow tie was crooked and half-unraveled. Still, he managed to scoff and say, "That may be true. Yet you are still afraid. You fear the future."

"You're right. I do. It's normal to be nervous about the future," Annabeth said. "But as a very wise friend of mine said, you can't plan for everything. Sometimes you just have to trust that it will all work out."

Apparently the nightmare god didn't have a ready response to the wisdom of Piper McLean. Instead, he maintained, "I will destroy you."

Fixing her eyes on him, Annabeth said, "You're a minor god at best. And _I _will destroy _you_. Besides, I have a Titan on my side." Keeping her sword pointed at Epiales, she reached into her backpack and brought out the jar of starlight. It pulsed with heat and power. Truthfully, Annabeth had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to use it, so she just went with her instincts. She pointed the jar at Epiales and untwisted the lid.

Fire erupted from the jar, spinning like a tornado around the god. He shrieked as it surrounded him, consuming the smoke, snuffing out the horrible visions, until there was nothing left but a pale guy in a scorched suit. As the fire faded, Annabeth stepped forward, sword raised. Epiales didn't fight back. Apparently the only weapon he wielded was fear. And Annabeth refused to bow to that any longer. She drove her drakon bone sword, the gift from Damasen, through the nightmare god's chest.

Epiales wailed, a teeth-grating, bone-chilling sound. His eyes burned viciously when he turned them on her.

"You're done," Annabeth said through gritted teeth.

A rattling laugh shook Epiales, making the sword still buried in his chest hum. "You should know better, Annabeth Chase. Nightmares never truly disappear. Especially not when you carry them here." He stretched one bone white finger towards her heart, but before he could touch her, Annabeth yanked her sword free. Another hideous wail issued from the god's lips as he finally dissolved.

A bracing wind swept through the park, carrying away the dust of the nightmare god. Annabeth took a shaky breath. Relief made her knees weak.

"Well done," a voice behind her said.

Annabeth whipped around, sword raised again, but she lowered it when she recognized the lady approaching her. "Asteria."

The Titan nodded. "You fought bravely, my dear."

"Thank you. But he wasn't the worst I've fought."

"Perhaps not." Asteria tilted her head, considering Annabeth with those dark eyes. "Epiales has a way of getting under the skin, though, sowing pain and doubt."

"Maybe. He showed me some visions…" Annabeth hesitated, then took the plunge and told Asteria some of the things Epiales had revealed. "He said it was the future, that there were more nightmares to come. I don't—I don't want to believe him, but if it's true…" Her voice trailed off as tears blurred her vision. She blinked them away, annoyed. "Maybe I'm crazy for hoping that things will ever be peaceful."

"Having hope does not make you crazy, my dear," Asteria said gently. "Epiales may deal in some divination, but so do I. May I show you something?"

Annabeth met the Titan's eyes. Just the fact that she was asking was more consideration than most immortals ever showed. Annabeth nodded, and Asteria touched her forehead lightly with the tips of her fingers. "Close your eyes, child."

Annabeth did. It scared her, but she did it. Golden light glowed against her eyelids. And then a new series of visions passed before her. To her surprise, the first scenes were memories. And not the warped versions Epiales had tortured her with. These were _real _memories.

In the first, she was four years old and her father was teaching her the various parts of a Sopwith Camel. He beamed with pride when she correctly pointed them out on his model plane. Then she saw herself at six with her stepmother, who gave Annabeth a rare smile as they worked together to train their Doberman, Daisy, using a red rubber ball.

The memories flashed forward and she saw Luke giving her a high five after she killed a monster with her knife for the first time. Thalia ruffled her hair outside one of their hideouts. Grover enthusiastically told her about Pan. She remembered discussing strategy with Malcolm, Silena teaching her how to braid her hair, Clarisse grudgingly explaining a proper spear-throwing stance, Beckendorf's excitement as they pored over the plans for the video shield together.

More recent memories came to mind. Sally Jackson inviting her over repeatedly all those months Percy was missing, always greeting her with a hug and asking about her day. Athena restoring the power of her Yankees cap. Piper supporting her in the Temple of Fear. Rachel, Grover, and Reyna all trusting her enough to take a chance on a desperate plea for peace. Their friends fighting to get to Epirus, not giving up on her and Percy. Hazel and Leo at the Doors. Damasen riding into battle on his drakon's back. Bob's silvery smile as he held the elevator button.

And, of course, through it all were moments with Percy. Coming back onto the bus to help fight the Furies when he could just as easily have escaped. Refusing to leave either her or Grover in the Underworld. Rescuing her from the enticing lure of the Sirens. Arriving on Atlas's mountain, along with Thalia, because he never believed she was dead. Fighting beside her in battle. Throwing his arms around her in New Rome, then explaining that he'd never forgotten her. Dangling over the pit. Walking hand in hand with her across hell itself. Kissing her breathless beneath the Parthenon. A hundred other moments flashed through her mind, including him holding her last night while she went to pieces.

Then the visions shifted to things Annabeth was sure hadn't happened yet. She saw herself hugging a guy with sandy blonde hair who she thought might be her cousin Magnus. Then her father hugged her at graduation. Sally beamed in the middle of a baby shower, holding up tiny outfits. Percy cradled a small bundle of pink blankets and said gently, "Hi, little sis." Piper bounced baby Chuck Hedge and laughed when he tried to grab her nose. She saw Jason in a classroom, maybe a physics class judging by the board, smiling proudly when he got the correct answer. Frank and Hazel stood hand in hand on a stage, waving to an audience, maybe the Senate. Reyna doubled over laughing in the woods. Leo grinned from a picnic table at Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel sat in a brightly decorated bedroom, just hanging out. She saw herself in a large college lecture hall, listening attentively and scribbling notes.

And there were more brief flashes of the future, scenes that left Annabeth's heart feeling too full to completely process. Visions that both scared her and gave her hope. The last scene was on a beach, possibly Montauk or Camp Half-Blood, or even somewhere completely different, just Annabeth and Percy, holding hands as they walked along the shore. They stopped and he slipped his arm around her waist, smiling as he kissed her. Maybe a memory, or maybe a possibility for the future.

Cold wind on her cheek brought Annabeth back to the present. She opened her eyes to see Asteria smiling at her. "You see, my dear, you have never truly been alone."

Annabeth's voice caught as she said, "Thank you."

"The future will contain both darkness and light. Just like the present and the past," Asteria said. "But even in the dark times, we must never forget the light. Never give up hope."

"I won't," she promised.

"Good." Asteria's smile was soft and warm. "Epiales is an immortal, so he may not be gone forever. But you have banished him, for a time. I believe you may have bought yourself some peace. Use it well."

"I'll do my best."

"Then I will bid you farewell, Annabeth Chase. And good hope for the future."

Annabeth looked away as golden light suffused the clearing. When it faded, the Titan was gone. Annabeth drew in a deep breath, then exhaled, feeling drained and emotionally wrung out. But she also felt hopeful.

Then she checked the time on her phone, which was amazingly no longer dead (freaking Epiales, she assumed). 6:32. Annabeth cursed. Snatching up her backpack, she jogged out of the park, back to the nearest subway station.

* * *

Percy was pacing the sidewalk outside his apartment, twirling Riptide, still in pen form, between his fingers, scanning the street with a brooding expression on his face. It was washed away by relief when he spotted her running up to him. "Thank the gods! Where were you? Are you—oompf!"

His question was cut off when Annabeth threw her arms around him, hugging him hard. Possibly too tight, but he'd deal with it. The relief of defeating Epiales, especially after the last bit of smoke-induced torture he'd put her through, combined with the visions Asteria had shown her, had left Annabeth almost light-headed. And reminded her just how much she really liked her boyfriend.

Percy hugged her back, which required contorting his arms around her backpack. "Hey. Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Annabeth pulled back just enough so she could meet his eyes, which were their usual color. Her favorite shade of sea-green. Impulsively, she took his face in her hands and kissed him, hard, oblivious to the people walking past. He was here. They were together.

When she eventually pulled away, his face had that expression she was always kind of proud of, like he was in a very happy daze. Breathlessly, she told him, "It's been a weird morning. I'm really, really happy to see you."

Percy blinked a couple times, the fog in his eyes clearing, then he smiled at her with a level of affection that left Annabeth feeling warmer than any jar of starlight. "I'm happy to see you, too." He kissed her again, maybe a little longer and more lingering than was totally appropriate in public, but Annabeth really didn't care. "So what level of weird are we talking about here? Like on a scale from that guy with the iguana on the subway last week to hey, I got a nosebleed and it woke up a primordial goddess?"

"I'll let you decide." She still hadn't stepped out of his embrace. "I defeated Epiales."

Percy's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. He came after me on the subway, and we had a fight in Central Park, and…yeah. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's gone now."

Percy studied her face, then said, "Wow, Wise Girl. That's a lot to accomplish before 7 a.m." He was grinning when she exhaled a laugh that may have contained the word, "Idiot," and smacked his arm. But his face grew serious again when he said, "Really, though, that's impressive. Are you okay?"

"Actually, yeah," Annabeth said. "I'm good."

"Cool." Percy studied her another moment, then kissed her cheek. "Why don't we go upstairs and you can tell me the whole story? There's still time if you want pancakes."

"Gods, yes."

Over some absolutely delicious blue pancakes, Annabeth filled Percy in on what had happened with Epiales. Paul had already left for work, but Sally was at the table, too, sipping a cup of tea. Annabeth mentally noted that both Sally and Percy listened with the same thoughtful, brow furrowed expression, though Percy's occasionally disappeared as he dug into his pancakes. She glossed over some of the details of what Epiales had said and what he'd shown her, but gave them the gist of the conversation. When she explained how Epiales had threatened to drag her to the Mansion of Night and sacrifice her to Chaos, Sally pursed her lips, while Percy's eyes darkened and he stabbed his fork into his pancakes a little harder than necessary. He muttered some unflattering comments about the god, and Annabeth took the opportunity to eat another bite of her own pancakes. They were perfectly light and fluffy.

Percy was scowling at his plate. Annabeth nudged his ankle with her foot under the table. "Hey, I'm still here," she reminded him. "It's fine. He's gone."

"Yeah." Percy glared at his butter knife, as if imagining using it on Epiales. "I just hate when someone threatens you."

"Same here. I mean, about you." Annabeth trailed her fork through a puddle of syrup on her plate. "That was when I really got mad. When Epiales threatened to do the same thing to you."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he said he was coming back for you. After he drove me insane and threw me into the void." Annabeth tried to say it lightly, like that was a ridiculous thing to suggest, but her lips trembled.

Abruptly, Percy seized her hand. His expression was intense as he said fiercely, "No one is taking you anywhere. Or me. Not again."

Their eyes met. Sally cleared her throat.

Percy's expression eased as a flush crept up his neck. "Oh, uh, sorry, Mom." He squeezed Annabeth's hand, then let go. She flashed him a quick smile before they both hurriedly took a bite of their pancakes.

Sally just smiled and shook her head as she took another sip of her tea. "It's not a problem, honey. I've always thought it's a good thing that you two are protective of each other."

"I'm pretty sure that's why we're still here," Annabeth admitted, and it was Percy's turn to shoot her a smile.

"So what happened after he threatened you both?" Sally asked, and there was a fierce glint in her own normally gentle eyes.

Annabeth launched into an explanation of fighting Epiales through the smoke, then using Asteria's fire to burn it away until she was able to stab the nightmare god in the chest. Then she mentioned Asteria's appearance, and how after that she'd realized she was running really late for breakfast, finishing with, "And now I'm here."

"And we're glad you are," Sally told her.

"Thanks. Me too."

"So, no more nightmares?" Percy asked. "Ever?"

"I don't know about _ever_," Annabeth said, "because Epiales wasn't the only source of nightmares. But definitely no more from him, at least not anytime soon. Asteria told me…how did she put it? That I'd bought myself some peace."

"I like peace," Percy agreed. "You know, when I've caught an occasional glimpse of it."

They all laughed at that. Then Percy's mom stood. To Annabeth's surprise, Sally kissed the top of her head as she passed her chair. "I'm very glad you're alright, dear. However, not to rush you, but you kids need to be at school in twenty minutes."

They finished eating quickly, then Percy went back to his room to finish getting ready and grab his stuff. After rinsing off her plate, Annabeth hovered by the sink for a moment, watching Sally make another cup of tea and remembering what Asteria had showed her. "Thanks for breakfast, Sally."

"You're welcome, dear. We're probably going to have pancakes tomorrow, too, if you want to join us again."

"I'd love to. And I'll try to actually be on time." Annabeth hesitated, then said, "And thank you for, you know, letting me come over and everything while Percy was missing. I can't even tell you…I mean, I really appreciated it."

Sally gave Annabeth a big hug. She smelled like peppermint. "It helped me, too, Annabeth. I love having you visit. You know you're welcome in my home anytime."

Annabeth nodded. It felt good to be welcome.

A couple minutes later, she walked down the hallway to see if Percy was ready to go yet. She found him in his room shoving textbooks into his backpack with one hand, while brushing his teeth with the other. Annabeth crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, observing the controlled chaos that was her boyfriend. When he saw her standing there, he gave her a sheepish look.

"Be ready in a minute," he said. Or at least, that's what she thought he said; it came out kind of garbled around the toothbrush.

Annabeth shrugged. "No rush. We're not doing anything in my first period class anyway."

Percy finished loading up his backpack, then zipped it shut. She took a step into his room to move out of his way as he ducked back across the hall and into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. His room, which had been perfectly clean when he'd come home in August, was now a mess, as usual. Actually, it didn't look much different than it had last year when he'd left for winter break. This time last year, Annabeth reflected, she hadn't even realized there was a problem yet. True, Percy hadn't been at breakfast, but that wasn't unusual; sometimes sea creatures needed his help. It was when he hadn't appeared by lunch that she'd started to worry, especially when she'd seen his cabin and the way his bed looked like he'd just disappeared straight out from underneath the covers. Even in spite of her early morning fight with Epiales, Annabeth thought this day was starting off a lot better than last year.

When Percy came back from brushing his teeth, Annabeth grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him into a kiss, the way she'd wanted to do last year, but couldn't. She knew they didn't have much time, that they did need to leave for school, but she felt like they could steal a moment. When they broke apart, she told him, "I love you."

Percy rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, too, Annabeth."

She didn't even try to hide her smile. After a moment, she said, "By the way, Asteria showed me some visions, too. Titan of nighttime divination or something like that."

"Oh yeah?" Percy slowly ran his hands up and down her arms.

Annabeth shivered. "Mmhm. But these were happy visions. Good things."

"How good?"

"Really good." Annabeth met his eyes, sparkling sea-green and gorgeous. "Hopeful."

"Sounds nice. Want to share?"

"Maybe later." She brushed her lips over his. "Like when we're alone at camp."

His smile was everything. "Works for me."

As they left the apartment a few minutes later, holding hands, Annabeth thought about what Epiales had said at the end, about carrying nightmares in your heart. Maybe that was true. But nightmares couldn't exist without dreams. And hope was always stronger than fear.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Annabeth slept through the night. No nightmares. Not even a pleasant dream. Just a deep, peaceful sleep.

She woke up feeling refreshed. Annabeth stretched, not yet ready to get out from under the covers. It was Friday, after all. All her exams were done. She only had one group presentation left to complete today. Then it was off to Camp Half-Blood with Percy. And she'd see her family for Christmas. Maybe some of her friends on New Year's Eve if they could arrange it. There were a lot of good things to look forward to.

The future would hold both good and bad, and she would deal with whatever came when it happened. But this morning, Annabeth chose to focus on the good. For now, she felt hopeful.

* * *

*****Thank you so much for reading! Thanks especially to everyone who's left a review, I really appreciate reading them! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of this story. There WILL be a short epilogue—it should be up tomorrow.*****


	6. Epilogue

*****I didn't initially plan to do an epilogue, but this scene came to mind, and it just felt like it fit.*****

* * *

**Three weeks later—January 4****th****:**

Thanks to the magical borders, the air at camp felt more like early fall than midwinter. Annabeth could stand on the beach in jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt, letting the edges of the surf wash against her bare feet, and not shiver. She took a deep breath in, then slowly let it out. The night was peaceful. Long Island Sound was calm beneath a sky crowded with stars. The crescent moon hung low in the eastern sky, glowing gold as it rose. For the moment, Annabeth felt completely relaxed.

Winter break had been great. Quite a few of the old campers had come back, so they'd had some epic games of Capture the Flag. Not to mention really fun campfires with the usual ridiculous sing-a-longs. Plus she and Percy had managed to steal some private moments here and there, which had made the break even better. She'd flown out to California for Christmas and spent a couple days with her dad and family out there. It had been surprisingly nice. Best yet, she hadn't had a single nightmare the entire three weeks. It had been a very long time since she'd felt this rested and refreshed.

But now, break was over. In the morning, they would be heading back to New York City. School started on Monday. Her final semester of high school. Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself as a smile tugged at her lips. It was hard to believe. Just a few more months until graduation. Then, heading to California for college. They were so close.

Her eyes wandered across the water, but the Sound was as smooth as glass. She and Percy had come down to the beach to take one last walk before heading back to the city tomorrow, but about halfway along the shore, a pair of hippocampi had come galloping out of the water. Annabeth couldn't understand what they were saying, of course, but apparently they'd asked Percy for help. Something about a tuna net. He'd looked at her apologetically. "Uh, I should probably take care of this."

"It's fine," she reassured him with a smile. "Just come back to me, okay?"

"Always." He kissed her cheek, then disappeared beneath the waves with the hippocampi.

That was about half an hour ago. Annabeth hoped everything was okay. There wasn't anything she could do if it wasn't, which was a little frustrating. She hated being sidelined. But, as Percy had pointed out to her before, she couldn't breathe underwater. So here she was, waiting on the beach. But the night was quiet, and she felt confident that Percy was fine. Somehow, she suspected she'd know, or at least have a sense, if something was really wrong. For now, she tried to stay relaxed. Her gaze drifted back up to the stars. Annabeth picked out a few of the constellations she knew, then stopped and allowed herself to just enjoy the overall view. After a moment, very softly, she said, "Bob says hello."

A few minutes later, a ripple ran through the water. Percy's dark hair broke the surface, followed by the rest of him. As he strode out of the sea, Annabeth's heart performed a pretty impressive tumbling routine. But gods, he looked so happy and confident, and the easy smile he gave her lit up his entire face as he said, "You're still here."

"Of course," she replied. "I'm not going anywhere, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

"I can live with that." He wrapped his arms loosely around her, then kissed her, slowly but deeply. There was no rush, after all. For once, they had time.

Eventually, Annabeth asked him, "So did you help the hippocampi?"

"Yeah. A baby hippocampus got caught in a tuna net, so I cut it free. Saved a seal, too, that had gotten stuck with it." He shook his head. "These fishermen don't even try to help. It's not cool."

"Good thing you were around." Annabeth kissed him again. After being in the ocean, his lips were extra salty.

"Guess so." A whinny rolled across the water, and Percy cocked his head, listening. His lips quirked up. He moved to stand behind Annabeth, then pointed at the water. "Watch."

She watched. Suddenly, a glistening shape broke the surface, leaping into the air. A second shape followed the first, both twirling as they rose, then splashing back down into the sea. A third smaller shape bounced out of the water, arcing elegantly before diving back down.

Annabeth's breath caught. "The hippocampi?"

"Yep." Percy put his arms around her. "Just saying thanks."

She leaned back against his chest and together they watched the hippocampi joyfully leaping and diving in and out of the water, their rainbow tails twinkling in the faint moonlight. Finally, with a grateful whinny, the two bigger hippocampi executed an incredible flip, while the little one bobbed in the water, shaking its mane. Then all three turned and swam off back toward the deep sea, the ripples from their wakes sending tiny waves against the shore.

"Not a bad end to break, huh?" Percy asked.

"That was amazing," Annabeth admitted. "They must have really appreciated your help."

"Apparently. But it was no big deal. I mean, I don't mind helping them out."

"That's because you're a really good guy."

"If you say so." Percy pressed his lips to her temple. "I also met a great white on my way back." He said it so casually, like that was as normal as seeing a pigeon in the park.

"Oh yeah?" Annabeth ran her fingers along his forearm, still wrapped around her waist. "Any issues there?"

"Nah, she was friendly. Told me there was a great beach with seals a little farther up the coast, if I was hungry. I said thanks, but I'd already had dinner."

"I can't tell if you're joking."

"I'm actually not. I couldn't make that up."

"You live an interesting life, Seaweed Brain."

"I know. I keep hoping it'll get boring, but so far, no luck."

"We'll just have to keep trying our best."

"Whatever you say." His breath brushed her cheek, giving Annabeth the good kind of goosebumps.

The waves lapped around their feet. The water was chilly, but, enveloped in Percy's arms, Annabeth was warm.

"You ready to go back tomorrow?" Percy asked.

"I think so. I mean, this has been a great break, but I'm ready to head out." She rested her head against his shoulder. "How about you?"

"Not looking forward to the homework, but I'll survive." He dipped his head to kiss her neck. "Last semester of high school."

"It is."

"I can honestly say I never really thought I'd get to this point."

Annabeth laughed quietly. "I know. I actually never thought I'd live this long." Her smile faded as the faces of lost friends played through her mind. "A lot of demigods don't make it this far."

Percy's arms tightened around her. "Maybe we are lucky."

"Maybe so."

A breeze floated through, bringing a hint of winter chill that cut through the otherwise comfortable night. The fresh, yet briny, scent of the ocean permeated the air. They'd been standing in one spot long enough that the steady, soft rush of the waves had covered Annabeth's feet in a layer of damp sand. But she didn't mind. Being near the water made her feel calm. Especially when, like now, she was by the water with Percy.

The stars were absolutely brilliant. As she watched, a falling star twirled through the sky, then blinked out. Like a wink. Annabeth smiled. She recalled the visions Asteria had shown her, most of which she'd shared with Percy (though she'd kept a few to herself; he would appreciate the surprise one day). And she remembered the final vision, of the two of them on the beach.

She turned in his arms so they were face to face, then told him, "We are absolutely going to kick this semester's butt. We're going to graduate. Then we get to go to college. Together. And it's going to be awesome."

There was nothing new exactly about the way Percy was looking at her or the way he smiled as she spoke, but still his expression sent shivers from her spine all the way out to her fingertips and toes. "Is that your plan, Wise Girl?"

"Yeah, it is. Although I think it actually started out as your plan, Seaweed Brain. And I'm impressed."

"I have my moments."

"You certainly do." Annabeth had to smile when she remembered their one-month anniversary and Paris. Now they were closing in on a year and a half together, with hopes for many more anniversaries. She thought again of the visions of the future Asteria had revealed. Annabeth was grateful for the glimpse, but she wasn't going to sit around and wait for the future to be handed to her. _I make my own future_, she'd told herself months ago, after battling the god Serapis. And that was still true.

There on the beach, beneath the stars, Annabeth kissed Percy. Because she could. Because she wanted to. Because she loved him and the plans they were making. When he kissed her back, she imagined it was probably for many of the same reasons. And that gave her fresh hope for their dreams of the future. They _would _build something permanent. Together.

When Percy pulled away, he murmured, "Love you, Annabeth."

"Love you, too, Percy." She didn't step away immediately, but stayed there sheltered in the safe harbor of his embrace. Percy seemed equally content to let the moment last. Finally, though, Annabeth said, "We should probably go back. It would be really embarrassing to get eaten by the harpies after everything else we've survived."

Percy laughed. "We might seriously get laughed out of the Underworld if that happened." He kissed her once more, light and quick, then asked, "Can I walk you back to your cabin?"

"Absolutely." As they walked along the shore, Annabeth took Percy's hand, lacing their fingers together. He grinned. Hand in hand, they headed back to camp, ready to face the end of high school and whatever challenges the future presented.


End file.
